ANGR
by epicvictory2025
Summary: RWBY AU. An adventure of Four teenagers attending Beacon Academy. They all have their reasons for being here, and they are gonna prove they can face the dangers and protect Remnant. But can they remain brave and face the unknown that's hiding in the shadows?
1. The Blue Bull

**Hello everyone. It's me, epicvictory2025. Haven't made a fic for quite a while and now I'm suddenly back out of the blue. I'm gonna be a little straightforward with this. I've been gone for at least 2-3 years of not writing a fanfic due to my life that I'm living in and also for losing my previous fics. Before you ask; I'm done with reaction fics since I'm trying to move on from that experience. To those who were disappointed in me and maybe still are that I've been in the dark and moved on from my previous fics that you all enjoyed… I don't care if you have anything to say about it or me because I have long since lost interest in react fics and I want to write an actual story. Though I do want to thank those for enjoying my previous works and I still hope you will enjoy my future stories that I got in store. You know… as Monty Oum himself said once… "Keep Moving Forward" and I'm taking that quote to help me continue fanfiction.**

**Since I'm at ease now, I'm basically starting over from scratch with something new and it's an AU of RWBY that may have some changes to the original.**

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.**

**The OCs belong to me.**

**Team ANGR**

**Trailer; The Blue Bull.**

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**_The world that we live in forever changes. We must make our own changes for the better towards it. But that doesn't mean it lets us stray from the paths we choose to make._**

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**Forever Fall...**

Out in a wide, open, mountainous valley, covered by a sea of trees, with leaves as red as roses, and a partially shattered moon drifting in the red sky, with the shattered remains of it orbiting alongside it. The valley is nearly silent as the howling wind blows and the crimson leaves rustle.

The location is Forever Fall. And this is where a heist is about to happen soon.

The red leaves are slowly drifting to the ground, as two figures are sitting on two rock outcroppings, as they both stare, silently, at the spectacle of the red forest..

One is a young girl at the age of 17 with a pale complexion. Standing at 5'6", with a curvy figure, long black hair, reaching down past her shoulders and reaching her back, amber eyes, and wearing a black bow over her head which hides her cat ears. She's also wearing a white undershirt under a black buttoned vest, along with white shorts, black low-heeled boots, black and purple stockings, and black ribbons wrapped around her arms.

Her emblem is a little black flame and on her back is what appears to be a sword where the handle is a pistol that is sheathed but the sheath itself is also a cleaver.

The other is a young boy at the age of 18. Standing at 6'1", with a well toned and muscular body, light skin, sky blue hair with darker blue mixed in that's spiky towards the back and windswept. On his head are a pair of bull horns but the tips are blunt and round instead of sharp and pointy, indicating he's a bull faunus.

He's wearing a white suit jacket that's light blue on the inside of it with blue patterns swirling on the bottom sides on the outside, white pants, white shoes with blue soles, and a sky blue shirt under his jacket that's partially unbuttoned.

On the back of his jacket is his emblem that's a blue colored rose and stem. The edge of the blue petals that make up the rose are round and smooth, rather than pointy and edgy, making the rose look more elegant.

The most interesting accessory is his mask that covers the upper half of his face while his lower half and mouth are exposed. The white-tan colored mask has four slits for him to see through and also has blue swirls that decorate the mask with the center having blue, wing like emblems on them.

Lastly, his weapon is a katana that's sheathed which is grayish-white. His weapon is called Wilt and Blush.

As the two continued to watch the leaves blow in the wind, the girl was in deep thought of something. But she's unaware that the boy next to her was also in the same boat.

The silence ended when the boy spoke to the girl.

"Blake." The boy said in a calm tone to the girl, named Blake.

"Yes, Adam?" She answered, also speaking in a soft tone, as she looks at her partner named Adam, with her amber eyes. Even if she can't see his eyes behind that mask, she can already tell what he's feeling, considering she knew him quite for a long time and they've met many years ago.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He calmly spoke. "The red leaves of Forever Fall that gently fall to the ground like the snowflakes in winter?" He finishes as he as he watches three random red leaves drifting by them.

Blake smiles at Adam's question. "Yes. They are beautiful." Than she goes back to her normal stoic expression, still not over what she's thinking about.

Adam cracks a glancing smirk when he noticed Blake feeling a little down. Maybe he should cheer her up a little.

"Though… not as beautiful as you." He said teasingly.

Normally, he was just teasing her, most of the time, but Blake couldn't figure if he was just teasing or being a gentleman, especially at a time like this as they are about to perform a major heist. Still, she smiles a bit again and takes that as a compliment.

"Well, aren't you being all flattering." Blake teased back as she smiles again.

Adam chuckled and goes back to being silent and stares up at the moon, watching it orbit the planet as the remaining pieces orbit with it.

Between the two, what matters now as both are well aware of the mission that they will be doing soon.

Blake than asks Adam as she wants to know if he too feels the same way she does. This is her last chance as this mission will also secretly be her last.

"Adam." Blake said as she looked at her partner again. "Do you believe what we're doing now, even if we're trying to bring equality to our race, in exchange for being feared by the humans, is the right thing to both sides?" The last part of her sentence had a hint of doubt and uncertainty, as if she's afraid that she may be right.

Adam stares at Blake and than looked down to the ground with a frown. She's not wrong about the topic, since he knows what the organization they work with has become lately. After their last leader stepped down and a new one who replaced him took a more violent approaches of faunus protesting. It's not far from being true to Blake's statement, as of now.

"Do you ever wonder? If there is a choice, where you could make a difference, by taking a different path, for what you believe is right?" Blake finished and stays quiet and is hoping Adam gives her the answer she's hoping she would hear.

Before Adam could give an answer, they were interrupted by a third presence in the area.

"Brother Adam. Sister Blake." Said a voice in a Romanian accent.

Both teens turn their heads towards where the it came from.

Standing there is a young man, around Adam's age, and an inch shorter. His outfit looks like a cross between a ninja and a vampire that consists of a modern, skin tight bodysuit that hugs his body which shows off his slimmer build, spikes on the shoulders and the knee pads having skull designs on them, and has fingerless gloves on his hands. He wears a black scarf that wraps around his neck but the edges have bat wing-like designs, flame patterns swirling across it, and in the center of it his emblem which is a red bat skull with sharp fangs. Strapped to his hip is his weapon that looks like a tonfa but has a sharp, triangular blade attached to it along with a second tonfa blade attached on the other side of his hip.

He's also wearing a mask, with red accents, but it only covers his lower face and only his eyes and forehead are seen, in contrast to Adam's mask. The mask also has sharp fangs, decorated around the mouth piece and he has long, pointy, bat ears on the top of his head that's covered in messy black hair.

His name is Vlad Tradat. A vampire bat faunus who is a high ranked member of the White Fang and he's one of Adam's teammates that he fought alongside for quite a long time. When he was assigned to the mission, he took the role of the scout who went on ahead to make sure there aren't any Grimm or other obstacles that would slow them down. Once he checked it clear, he quickly came back as he it's already the right time to move out.

"It is time." Said Vlad, obviously giving the hint their mission is about to start so they need to move it.

Blake and Adam were silent for a second until they responded.

"Ok." Said Blake.

"Very well." Adam also says.

Both the bull faunus and bow wearing, cat faunus step off their rocks and begin to walk with Vlad towards their mission. They begin to pick up the pace and start sprinting through the Forever Fall until they were like the wind itself.

But each of them are unaware that they are thinking of something briefly.

"_So this is it. After I finish this mission, this is where I have to part ways. Adam…. I hope you understand what I have to do and for the better." _Blake said in her head as she glanced at Adam who was starring forward but unaware he's also glancing at her too behind his mask.

"_Blake. When this mission is over, I have to tell you we should leave the White Fang. This is what you would want and I would be happy to do that for you." _He thought.

As the three head off, floating nearby are the three red leaves Adam saw earlier. One is a normal and healthy leaf, the second is slightly wilted and has a hole in it, and the third and last is the most wilted of the three and has three holes.

Meanwhile, further through the Forever Fall, three blurs zoomed by who are Adam, Blake, and Vlad.. While Adam and Blake are sprinting on the ground, Vlad is leaping through the trees and easily keeping pace with them. But little did they know, Vlad is staring at them suspiciously with his eyes from above.

Thanks to being a bat faunus, Vlad heard their conversation from far away. In fact, he came a little earlier than what Blake and Adam anticipated but he doesn't quite understand what Blake meant to her words. Was she referring to herself or Adam? Was she just saying something out of curiosity or was she really being considerate about it? Something seems off with the two and he decides he will have a talk with them when the mission is over.

Sometime later, the three reached the edge of a cliff on top of a small mountain where it leads down to a gorge where a pair of train tracks are.

Nearby, a raven caws and flies off. Vlad stares at the raven for a second but ignores it and lands next to Adam as they look down at the tracks.

A train whistle was heard and they see a black cargo train thundering down it's line, pulling a long line of freight cars filled with loads of Dust and other goods. The train is so large and wide that it needed two train tracks to roll on. .

Time to initiate the first step.

The trio leap off the edge of the cliff and sliding down the steep cliffside towards the train and leap off the cliffs and onto the train..

Adam draws his sword, Wilt, which the blade is colored light blue, from Blush and stabs it through the metal roof to not fall off. Blake does the same with her Gambol Shroud. Vlad simply used his claw gauntlets to snare onto the roof as well. They stood up and headed to the nearest hatch on the roof and entered, after Adam slashed off the lock with Wilt.

Once inside the cart, it was dark but thanks to being faunus, the three teens can see well in it… and they realized they stepped in the hornets nest.

"Looks like we're gonna be doing this the hard way." Adam says, as he realized they're gonna have to fight now.

Inside the car that the trio have entered is full of an entire squad of AK-130 androids and AK-170 androids which are bulkier and more heavily armored than the 130 androids.

"Easier said than done." Vlad added in annoyance.

Unfortunately, for the faunus intruders, as if on cue, they accidentally triggered the red laser security which sent off the alarm and activated the androids as they turn their attention towards these intruders as their programming gives them the command.

"Don't be so dramatic, you two." Blake teased with a smirk, as she grabs Gambol Shroud by the hilt.

One of the 130 androids approaches and morphs it's metallic hands into gatling guns as it gives them a warning.

"**Intruder, identify yourse-"**

_**SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING!**_

Before the android could even finish it's warning, Vlad is suddenly behind the robot, as if he teleported from where he stood to where he is now, holding his tonfa blade in one hand. A second later, the android diced into several pieces as it crumbled to the floor.

In response to the warning being ignored, the rest of the 130 androids attack as they switch their hands into blades and the 170 androids turing their own arms into chainsaws.

Before they could charge, Adam makes his move too as he pulls the trigger of Blush, which is in fact part shotgun, causes Wilt to be launched at high speed and hits the android in the face by the handle. Adam dashes forward and grabs Wilt in midair and slices the android's head off and then slices it vertically in half. Adam does his pose and sheaths his sword, just as the larger and more advanced android falls to the floor in pieces.

The other androids that weren't focused on Adam and Vlad went after Blake but she's way beyond helpless as she creates a shadow clone and leaps out towards the nearest drones and slices two in half with her Gambol Shroud.

Now the trio are fighting the entire squad of androids as they stay close together and watch each other's backs, preventing any blind spots for the androids to sneak up on and attack from behind. Adam occasionally uses Blush's shotgun shots against any android that's out of his reach, Vlad continues to slice and dice the other androids at FTE speeds, and Blake also bisects the robots with grace and precision.

The 130 and 170 androids from further away open fire with their gatling guns, with the 170 androids having a larger caliber, but Adam easily blocks, deflects, and even cuts the bullets with Wilt and sheathes it back into Blush. One would notice the blade slightly glowed a bright blue light just as it finished parrying the bullets.

Blake and Vlad dash forward as they too block the bullets until they reached the shooting robots and started slashing and cutting them again. This time, as Blake slid towards another robot, she pulled Gambol Shroud's katana out of the sheath cleaver is now dual wielding her weapon as she's mowing through the group of androids even faster. Vlad was easily cutting them just as easily as Blake is doing but with one hand alone.

They cut a few more until Adam dropkicked a 170 through the door which blew off the hinges and sends that kicked android flying off the train.

The next cart has no cover so now the three can see the outside world as the train is moving down the line at high speed. Up ahead, they see even more androids coming their way.

"Let's do this." Vlad says as if he's ready to rip and tear the androids to scrap metal.

All three charge ahead again into the fray, as they unleash their fury on the androids again.

Adam uppercuts four into the air with Wilt, giving both Blake and Vlad the chance to slice them midair and Adam knocks back the remaining ones with a slash. Blake pushes a button which causes Gambol Shroud blade to fold inward and now the blade is in gun/kusarigama mode. She throws it but one android ducks but Blake has her weapon attached to a strong ribbon which she tugs back and now she's flailing it around with deadly accuracy and precision.

The onslaught continues as Adam rushes past another group with so many fast slashes that they all explode at once.

Vlad and Blake follow behind as they cut through as well. They evens start sending some androids into the air where Adam sends out blue colored air slashes at the androids, juggling them even further in mid air for more damage where Vlad and Blake finish them off by slicing through them midair. Adam then finishes the last one with a uppercut from the back and shoots it with Blush.

With the wave now defeated, the three intruders enter the next cart where it's full of many boxes with a snowflake like emblem on it. No doubt that symbol is the Schnee Dust Company as they walk further in but are unaware that they are not alone, as two presences are crawling on the ceiling. One is really big while the other is much smaller but just as deadly, as they silently crawl across the ceiling and get into their positions.

Vlad opens one of the crates and looks inside where the contents are stored. He confirms it's dust, of all different elements and varieties that are in this train that are being transported to the stores and shops.

"Excellent." Vlad confirms as he closes the lid and turns towards his two teammates. "Move onto the next cart, as I set the charges."

Adam and Blake frown as they did not like the sound of using explosives in the freight cars, even after hearing the instructions from their leader instructed them on this mission.

Vlad pulls out a small disk that fits in the palm of his hand that shows a little red button on it. These small charges only set off small explosions but will be enough to cause a chain reaction to all the dust in the carts, as the dust is a very sensitive and delicate material in grounded form, that may cause a massive explosion, powerful enough to destroy the entire freight car. And that's just the first cart Vlad will be setting the charges with.

"But what about the crew members?" Asked Blake in concern. She doesn't like this part of the plan and now fears the next step is about to happen with the crew members on the train at grave risk.

"I agree with Blake, Vlad." Adam adds. "Don't you think this is unnecessary to blow up a few carts full of dust when we can just steal them and use them to our benefit? Besides, these crew members on this train are only doing their jobs and have nothing to do with us."

Vlad stares at the two and furrows his brows towards Adam. Blake's ears beneath the bow start to tilt back in worry as it felt like they got on Vlad's nerves.

"What about the wretched humans on board?" Vlad answers. "You think I'd care about them? The ones that are working for the company that have forced many of us to work in the mines with little pay and scraps, while they get all the food and luxury in their cozy little mansions?" He added with slight venom in his voice. "Do I have to remind you two why we are in the White Fang and what we are fighting for, even if we have to make them fear us like the monsters they see us as?"

Now Vlad is starting to reconsider what he thought earlier about Blake and Adam. Are these two really planning to betray him? Still, there isn't enough evidence from Blake's statement if it's a fact or not but his gut is telling him something's not right. But his heart also tells him Blake and Adam wouldn't leave him as he knew them for many years.

As for Blake and Adam, they couldn't help but feel worried about Vlad. No doubt does he hate the humans for how they treated the faunus for so long but him showing his hatred on this level really put a lot of concern that there's no likelihood he may be coming with them.

Before they could give an answer, they heard a noise behind them. The trio turned towards the direction where they came from as something comes from the ceiling and lands on the floor. It's a large, metallic, spider droid, with four grab legs, two large cannons for the arms, and two more mounted on the shoulders, and a dark gray color scheme with red highlights.

The heavily armed robot aims it's cannons at them and prepares to terminate the intruders.

Before they could react, they heard another noise behind and turn towards it. On the other side of the cart, is another droid, but this one is a different model.

The droid has a similar body structure, including four legs, a similarly shaped head, and the same color pattern as he spider drone but the similarities end there. It's is at least three times smaller but still towers over a human, has a more sleeker body, two scorpion tails that arch over its head, and has four arms, with the bottom being scorpion claws and the upper arms having sharp, serrated, blades that glow a red hue.

The two droids are working together, as they took positions to both sides of the car to prevent any escape, as they box the intruders in together.

The three faunus realize they are surrounded and have no choice but to fight now, even if they decided to run, the drones would likely pursuit them.

"Guys." Blake says nervously but Vlad faces the Scorpion droid while the Adam faces the Spider droid. Vlad pulls a second tonfa sword off of his hip and activates it as he's dual wielding now.

The Spider droid acts first and opens fire with it's plasma dust cannons, while the Scorpion droid also makes its move by dashing forward towards Vlad with it's blades activated as they glow even brighter. Adam dodges the projectiles shots, which knock over many of the dust crates. Adam mentally curses that the mounds of dust are at risk of blowing up, despite being protected inside the crates which are designed for keep the dust stable. Blake dashes forward and leaps towards the metallic spider, ready to slice it.

"Blake, wait!" Adam shouted but the Spider droid heabutts Blake and sends her flying back as hits the ground in a loud thud. Her aura protected her from most of the damage but it still really hurts.

Meanwhile, Vlad and the Scorpion drone are clashing with their blades at a fast pace that their arms are practically blurs to the naked eye and sparks are flying everywhere. The scorpion tried to end the stalemate by thrusting one of it's claws downwards but Vlad easily saw it coming and leaped up in time, just as the claw heavily slammed and dented the floor. Up in the air, Vlad tried to counter but the scorpion responds with it's two tails lashing forward which forced the bat faunus to twist in midair, barely dodging them but one tail managed to graze him.

Vlad landed on his feet as his aura protected him but that still left some damage done. He was forced to leap back and gain some distance but the robot dashes forward at near blinding speed, denying any chance for him to widen the gap. However, Vlad presses a button on his right tonfa sword that made the blade glow even brighter.

Just as the metallic scorpion closes the gap, it barely reacted in time to use it's claws and blades to block a far more powerful slash from Vlad that forced it skidding back. The scorpion claws are scratched a little but otherwise undamaged and the blades are otherwise fine.

The spider droid tries to stomp on Blake but Adam slashes it in the face five times but the droid kicks him back and fires again, forcing the bull faunus to dodge once more. Just as the droid tries to stomp on Blake again, Adam grabs her in time before the metal leg clanks against the floor and leaves a similarly sized dent the scorpion droid made previously. Adam carries his teammate a safe distance away, about 10 feet, from where Vlad is standing who continues to stare down the scorpion droid.

"We need to get out of here!" Blake yelled.

"I agree on that." Adam said with tensity in his tone. "This will only risk the dust crates setting off to explode."

Vlad heard them but doesn't move and only narrows his eyes even more, as he continues to watch the scorpion droid's movement.

The spider droid suddenly combines it's four cannons together into one large cannon. The Scorpion droid already knows what it's unofficial teammate is about to do and suddenly leaps high into the air, clinging to the ceiling with its legs to avoid the upcoming attack.

For a split second, Vlad was confused at the droid's sudden maneuver but turned around when he heard a loud humming sound and the room suddenly got brighter.

The spider droid was charging it's laser for a few seconds and than fires a large, focused, beam of concentrated plasma dust. Neither Adam, Blake, or Vlad had time to react or counter as the beam slams into them which was strong enough to puncture the wall and door of the cart they were and flung the them onto the open cart.

The three got up again but Vlad was gritting his teeth under his mask… and Adam is also starting to get a little angry at this as well but he quickly takes a deep breath and calms down quickly. Adam can't get angry at a time like this, especially it would only make things worse. Even after calming down, he still feels a bit angry but can also think clearly.

The two droids are crawling through the open hole and onto the next car where the current trio are standing on. The scorpion drone makes an astounding leap and is now on the other side, once again, boxing the three between the droids again.

"_This is bad." _Adam thought as he realizes these droids are harder to damage than he first thought, along with the risks of Dust getting blown up. _"If we don't beat them soon, they will eventually overpower us and the crew members will catch on to us… I have no choice but to use my trump card. I need some time."_

"Buy me some time!" Adam called out to Blake.

"Are you sure?" Blake asked Adam in hopes he knows what he's doing.

"Do it!" Adam demanded.

"In that case. I will take care of the other one that I'll deal with personally." Vlad says as he turns around towards the scorpion droid and pushes another button on each of tonfa blades which causes the blades to glow purple. But he didn't stop there as he attaches both of the bottoms of the tonfa blades into a staff with both sides each tipped with a sharp blade.

Both the cat and bat faunus charge toward the two droids and leaves Adam behind as he takes his stance and prepares to use his semblance.

Blake dodges a few shots from the spider droid and uses Gambol Shroud in Kusarigama mode to swing above it as the moon shines behind her. She then comes down and then starts slashing the droid with her cleaver and Gambol Shroud in katana mode, the droid's large size and slow speed prevented it from getting a good aim as Blake even stabs it in the "chin" of it's head and fires it's neck with the gun attached to Gambol Shroud.

Meanwhile, Vlad was now dashing towards the scorpion droid as it responds by striking it's two tails downwards, hoping to impale Vlad but the ninja bat suddenly dodges the two stingers and slashes both off and than slashes the droid in the face, causing it to stumble back. With both gone, the scorpion droid activates another feature by causing its claws to open up and reveal gun turrets as it open fires but Vlad manages to weave around them and even deflect the ones he couldn't completely dodge. Once he got in range again, he now starts ducking and weaving past the blades and counters with his own bladed staff and blitzing it back and forth in nearly every direction and angle. The droid tried to hit him with its remaining tail but it got blocked and than swatted it aside, damaging the tip and making it now useless.

Vlad's starting to actually damage the droid thanks to using gravity dust that decreases the weight of the blades to swing faster and increasing the weight just upon impacting the robot, further damaging it. Compared to its larger, more heavily armed and armored counterpart, the scorpion droid is more designed for speed and close range offense and it's limited armor and defenses are slowly becoming it's downfall but it continues to fight Vlad without backing down.

Blake backflips next to Adam's right while Vlad also leaps back to Adam's left. The spider droid fuses it's four cannons together again and prepares to fire another powerful laser. The scorpion droid also takes a stance as it prepares to charge forward.

"MOVE!" Adam yelled as the beam fires towards him. Adam unsheathes Wilt and takes the beam head on as the katana absorbs the energy into the blade itself, causing Adam's hair, blue outlines of his outfit and even on his mask to glow even brighter. With his semblance now fully charged, he's ready to finish the spider droid.

At the same time, Vlad takes his stance and prepares to perform a move that will surely finish the scorpion droid for good as well, while behind Adam. He starts twirling his bladed staff which gains more momentum and power building up in it's blade.

Both droids simultaneously leap forward from both sides and dive towards Adam and Vlad respectively, with the spider droid trying to crush Adam under its clawed leg while the scorpion droid tried to slice Vlad to ribbons with it's blades and claws. However, they were too late as both Adam and Vlad unleashed their ultimate attacks at once.

Adam slashes in a horizontal fashion while Vlad swings his blade in a vertical uppercut. The background suddenly changes with two sides changing color; blue on Adam's side and red on Vlad's side, with the shattered moon right in the center.

The two robots didn't stand a chance, as the ultimate slashes they took tore them apart. The spider droid disintegrates rose while the scorpion gets dissected in half and also disintegrates shortly after.

With the enemies defeated, Adam sheathes Wilt back into Blush and Vlad takes apart his bladed staff back into their tonfa mode. But now… Blake is nowhere to be seen.

Adam and Vlad start to wonder where she went… unless.

Adam and Vlad started running over to the end of the cart.. And there stands Blake on another cart

"Blake…?" Vlad says in surprise… is this what Blake meant when she spoke to Adam. That she would be the one that's leaving?

Adam stared in silence, as he wasn't expecting Blake to already prepare her departure just now, even leaving without him. He was planning to tell her when this mission was over… and it seems Blake is already a step ahead of him. He must act now before it's too late!

Blake stares at her two tea- ex-teammates in silence as she is now about to sever the connection of the train and leave them behind. She feels a lot of regret during her decision but this is final and she needs to leave the White Fang that's too violent and twisted for her ideals.

"Goodbye" Blake sadly said, as she grabs Gambol Shroud and cuts the connection of the train, causing the released carts to slow down and the train continuing forward.

Blake feels remorseful that this is how it's gonna end, especially to Adam, the only person she ever has a close bond and connection with, since he understood her wanting to make a difference for equality…

it seems she's now on her-

"Blake! Wait!" Adam called out to Blake in desperation as he starts running forward."Let me come with you!" Before she could respond, Adam was dashing across the train cart at full speed until he reached the edge and, with all his might, leaps forward, as he soars across the gap.

"Wha-?!" Vlad exclaimed in confusion as he watched his teammate leaping forward.

"A-Adam?" Blake said, surprised, as she watched Adam barely reached out and grabbed the edge of the cart and hangs on as he tries to climb up.

Blake quickly runs over to Adam and reaches her hand out for his, grabs it, and pulls him onto the cart to safety.

After getting on board, Adam catches his breath from the intense experience of hanging from a running train and now turns to Blake who didn't know what to say until he broke the silence.

"Blake." Adam says. "I understand what you're doing and your reasons behind it."

Blake looked surprised hearing him know about her intentions to leave as his right hand slowly reaches up to his mask.

"The fact about the White Fang, and what it has become, shortly after Ghira Belladonna stepped down and Sienna Khan taking his leadership."

He takes off his mask and holds it in his hand, as Blake gets a full view of his face which she then gives a sympathetic expression and tries to look away but continues to look at him in the eyes. Whatever Blake sees, isn't seen due to Adam having his back turned and only the back of his head is seen from Vlad's direction.

"Even than, we still suffer and treated as animals from the humans. No matter what we do and act, on behalf of the White Fang, we only bring more senseless violence and destruction." Adam continues. "We've committed these acts to the point where we must draw the line and find another solution of stopping the hate and torment to both sides."

"You want to leave it all behind and carve your own path to bring justice for everyone." Adam said again as he smiles. "And I want to bring justice of my own with you too."

What Blake heard from Adam surprised her. She didn't expect Adam to actually feel the same way she feels. She thought it was just her that wanted to leave the White Fang behind and would be doing it alone… but no. She's not alone and she has someone she knows and cares for will be coming with her.

Blake smiles as she tries to hold back a tear. "Thank you, Adam."

Adam smiles back as he puts his mask back on his face, unknown what he has that the rest of the world wants to know. "You're welcome, Blake."

However, both didn't forget the one person that is being left behind. They turn around and look at Vlad who is now far away but they can still clearly see him.

Vlad's stood at the edge of his cart, at a loss for words, and barely trying to comprehend what just happened. All he sees in front of him… is Adam and Blake leaving him behind. Is this some kind of sick twisted joke? Or is this is all in fact a reality that's really happening? He just couldn't think of a proper answer and couldn't even say a word towards them.

Adam and Blake are well aware of Vlad's sudden surprise feel remorseful they had to leave him. Despite being a close friend and teammate they grew up with for years, they know Vlad would never accept joining them and trying to bring equality between humans and the faunus. They know Vlad has a rather harsh hatred to the humans so it was for the better, even if it hurts them leaving him behind. Almost like disowning a sibling.

As he continues to watch them go, Vlad suddenly starts tightening his fists and his pupils shrink, as his sadness and confusion is replaced by anger and malice.

Vlad has now added another personal band of traitors to his list… even if he has to chase them to the ends of Remnant.

"Forgive us… Vlad". Adam whispers as they can no longer see Vlad. "It's unfortunate it had to be this way…."

The entire scenery, including the trees, the carts, the crates of dust, and the sky, slowly fades to nothing but a dark red background taking place. The only visible things are the two silhouettes of Blake and Adam and the falling leaves which are also now black as the night. Shortly after, everything else fades to black.

The three leaves from earlier appear and continue to gently float together.

The sound of a gust of wind violently sent the leaves blowing around… and the leaf with three holes started to change course, while the two other leaves managed to remain together and continue on with their journey, swirling and twirling around each other.

The three holed leaf drifts alone in the breeze. No other leaf to drift with it.

Out of the darkness appears four silhouette that appear to be four young males in their late teens.

The first resembles Adam holding his katana that's sheathed and to have his hand holding the handle of his weapon.

The second is another young man that appears to have a thick tail, wearing what appears to be an outback barmah hat, is holding the tip of his hat with his right hand, holding what appears to be a boomerang in his left hand, and has what appears to a piece of thin grass in his mouth.

The third appears to be the tallest of the four, appearing to be well balanced between lean and muscular, and appears to be wearing hakama pants. He doesn't appear to be holding a weapon but he has something on his arms that look like gauntlets

The fourth and last appears to have tail feathers, a mohawk, wearing a cowboy scarf, and is crossing his arms. He appears to be have a pair of pistols in their holsters on his hip.

Behind the first to last silhouettes, respectively, are the colors of Light Blue, Dark Violet, Orange, and Dark Green, which match their hairs which are the only colors on the silhouettes.

The image suddenly ripples as if a droplet splashes into a reflected pool, as the silhouette of the first begins to fade and it reveals to be Adam, in his white and blue suit, his mask, and his blue hair, as he looks ahead with a determined frown.

The other three young men remain as silhouettes and everything fades back to black.

**Adam Taurus.**

* * *

**That's the first of the four trailers. **

**To those that you are wondering about Adam. Yes. I'm basically having Adam Taurus, at least a different incarnation, as one of the main characters of his future team that he will bond with and fight alongside. Though, to say about some things… yeah, the way Canon Adam was, I admit it's a mixed bag to the fandom how he was handled and portrayed… an abusive, bloodthirsty, and mentally unstable ex-boyfriend that stalked Blake and wouldn't leave her alone. Originally, I used to respect Adam since the Black trailer and saw him as the kind of guy that was loyal to the White Fang and also a competent and intelligent, if intimidating and aggressive, badass that is willing to do what it takes for the equality of faunus… and likely making the humans pay for the treatment of the faunus…. But after some hints of volume 2, what he did in volume 3 and especially volume 4 and 5, he's nothing of the sort and is doing all that for himself, even killing Sienna Khan… then abandons his leadership after the humiliating defeat by Blake…. Than stalks her and he ends up dead after facing both Blake and Yang, as they protected each other. But… ever since I saw that brand of his in volume 6… I did regain some bits of pity to him and understood his hatred to humans (the racist ones, specifically)… but all his actions that he's done were inexcusable, and he died in the end.**

**This version of Adam will be different. I ramped down his age at being a year older than Blake, having a different role in the story, and will also add some other traits to make him more fleshed out. To those that hate Adam with a passion for what he was, I don't blame you. But at least try to be civil with this incarnation that I'm giving a chance of experiencing a different path than what canon Adam did.**

**Lastly, canon Adam's Wilt was a Chokuto. This version of Adam's Wilt is a Katana.**

**Anyways, tune in next time and and see who will be part of team ANGR.**


	2. The Violet Kangaroo

**Another trailer is made and now we get to see it. **

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

**OCs are mine**

**Team ANGR**

**Trailer: The Violet Kangaroo**

* * *

**_I will do what I can to make those that I care about to be happy, even if I have to throw myself into harm's way that stands between me and their needs. I want to know what they feel so I can know what I need to do to end their sorrow and pain in this Grimm dark world._**

* * *

**The Outback desert of Menagerie; The Wailing Desert.**

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon and the sky began to darken over the arid desert of Menagerie in bright colors.

With Menagerie being two thirds desert, the vast majority of the continent is nothing but wide open wastelands of deserts, ranging from arid bushlands, to dry woodland, rocky canyons, to sandstorm raging sand dunes with some dunes being hundreds of feet high. Though, there are also some scattered oasis' found across the deserts too but the high risks of dying out there are usually not worth it.

The remaining one third of the continent is tropical and subtropical coastlines and beaches, where most faunus live and reside at, where it has all the resources and necessities they need, and don't need to go out into the desert.

However, even than, it can get pretty crowded and cramped which causes a good number of faunus choose to live out in the open deserts, despite the risks and dangers that's filled with unpredictable weather patterns, scorching and skin burning heat, raging sandstorms, and the unrelenting pursuits of all kinds of Grimm and predators roaming Menagerie.

This desert is one of the several deserts of the continent, called the Wailing Desert.

The reason it gets its name? Every time the wind blows across the desert, it gives off a haunting and scary sound, like the wailing agony of a banshee. Hearing it could send chills down the spines of those who dare to travel through it.

Despite how dangerous and lethal the desert can be, it's not impossible to live there, with the right equipment and skills needed. In fact, much of the desert is rarely explored and only a few settlements are scattered across it, mostly closer to the coasts where transportation is much shorter to get supplies from the coasts, only to stay in their respective designations and don't spread out any further. The center of the desert is considered unreliable due to large grimm populations and little to no plant life there.

Over the years, many rumors and legends are told; many parts of the uncharted deserts are said to be goldmines with mountains worth of dust that can make anybody rich beyond their wildest dreams, even richer than the owner of the Schnee Dust Company. This has once started the event called the Menagerien Dust Rush, shortly after Menagerie was officially owned by the faunus, where many brave and determined miners, brave or foolish enough to enter, went out and searched for the Dust…. but most have came back empty handed, gave up too soon, or even have never returned….and the Dust was never discovered.

Over time, the rumor slowly became a myth, as Remnant continues to spin on its axis and the moon continued to look shattered in the night sky. Nobody longer cares if the dust in Menagerie is real or not, as too much resources and time have been wasted and many lives have been lost.

As of now, the deserts of Menagerie went back to being the uncharted wastelands that are unfavorable, with only a small population of the faunus living and surviving in them.

As the wailing wind echoes across the rocky and dry desert, something was seen in the distance. A sign of life of a silhouette of an animal and another riding it's back.

From a distance, a quadrupedal creature was trudging across the rocky grounds and sand; It's a dromedary with what appears to be a person riding on it's hump with a saddle and reins, along with some supplies of food and water.

Upon closer look, the rider appears to be a human but is actually a faunus due to having a kangaroo tail.

Since it's dark out, the person cannot be seen that easily but he appears to be wearing a safari barmah hat on his head.

The unknown traveler is riding his rented camel through the dunes in the dark of the night, towards whatever location he's heading.

Eventually, he came across a large sand dune that's only 50 feet high but he also notices a bright light over it; A sign there must civilization, maybe even a city.

The traveler flicks the reigns and nudges the camel's side with his heel to make it move a little faster up the hill, until they've reached the top, now getting a wide and open view.

He's at the edge of the dunes that borders to a more rocky and arid part but that's not what he's focused on. What he really sees is a small city that's 7 miles away that's also completely surrounded by a large wall.

This is the place he's been looking for and now he's reached it.

Despite the beauty of the horizon, the colorful sky of the sun setting that's a mix of pink and purple, and the city now starting to brighten with their lights, the traveler admired the scene for a second before pulling something out of his pocket which looked like rectangular object covered in wrapping.

It's a chocolate bar… a dark chocolate bar that's still partially wrapped up and still fresh.

The traveler partially unwraps it and takes a big bite out of it, tearing off a good chunk and savors the taste. The sweet and rich flavor of candy bar fills his senses with delight of the taste across his tongue. He can never get used to it.

When he was done and swallowed his snack, he rewraps the rest and stashes it back into his pocket as he nudges his heel against his steed's side, causing the camel to trudge forward again, towards the city.

Roughly a few hours later, the sun has finally set. Now the sky started to turn pitch black and the stars twinkled in the sky, with the moon shining over the desert. The traveler is now on rocky ground and is just half a mile away from the city which is now much bigger up close.

He came across a rusted and worn down sign, which likely has been around for a long time, that reads something.

"WELCOME TO BARDUS."

It's definitely the city he's been looking for as he continues forward

Bardus is one of the few major settlements and cities that resides in the desert, which only three that exist, away from the coastlines. This city was an attempt to become a utopia when the Dust Rush was in full swing…. but since it was a failure, the city that was being built came to a halt and now it's an incomplete dystopia with some skyscrapers being halfway done. Now it's just a remnant of what it was going to be.

Though, there was another sign, which looks relatively new and not as worn down, right behind the first. It gave a rather disturbing warning and message.

"UNLESS YOU'RE A HUMAN!".

Complete with an added anti-human sign that shows a stick figure human with a prohibition sign over it…. and X's for eyes with a squiggly mouth drawn on the head.

Yeah… quite a cheerful way to welcome visitors, ain't it?

Bardus is also currently a favorite hideout for the many kinds of thugs, criminals, assassins, serial killers, drug lords, weapon dealers, illegal Dust smugglers, and many other kinds of infamous and dangerous law breakers under the sun that like to hang out here, all of them being faunus. It's also a really perfect place for White Fang members to hang out at to gather more "brothers and sisters" for their cause in their organization. Though, they are in the minority and the majority are mostly the normal citizens that mostly mind their own business but even they are not the nicest people around.

The traveler ignored the signs, as he knows what this city is already and continues forward. Thanks to being a faunus, he doesn't have to worry about being gunned down but he still has to keep his guard up when he enters, since this place is by no means sunshine and rainbows and he could get mugged or even killed if he isn't careful.

Shortly after, he managed to reach the gate which is a massive stone wall that surrounds the entire city. The wall itself is easily 90 feet high and, upon closer inspection, is worn down with some deep cracks and also has a hundreds, if not thousands, of bullet holes and dozens of craters left by explosions, giving out hints that there were some past fights and battles here. The wall used to serve at keeping the Grimm out, except the ones that can fly and those that easily exceed 90 feet in height. But now it also serves as a barrier that only those with being able to pay the toll can enter.

Four guards were at the entrance, but didn't look or dressed professional as any other across Remnant, as they look more like more like those kinds of mohawk punks you see in those post apocalyptic movies. There's also a small tower nearby where a sniper is watching and has his rifle at the ready.

The traveler paid the toll and heads towards the open gate which is wide enough for two sides to both enter and exit without getting into each other's way.

"Hold up." Said one of the guards with ram horns, suddenly.

The traveler momentarily stops and stares back at the guard, but no one can see his eyes due to his barmah hat hiding them but he raises his head a little which reveal his dark violet eyes which gave a rather stone harded stare. One could also notice a dark violet lock of hair hanging down from under his hat and partially covering his face.

"What?" The young traveler answered in an Australian accent but also sounded really stoic and bored.

"Not that I care or anything… but did you come from that direction?" The guard asked as he pointed where the traveler came from which were the dunes.

The traveler looked in that direction but still showing no concern.

"Yeah?" He said again without batting an eye towards the younger guard who's around his age. "What about it?"

"It's just… those dunes are infested with Gravestalkers." The guard responded in surprise at how this traveler doesn't sound any concerned about it.

The Gravestalkers are desert cousins of the Deathstalkers found in the more forested and mountainous areas of Remnant. Unlike their Deathstalker cousins, Gravestalkers are far less reckless and more clever in how to catch their victims. They prefer to bury themselves into the sand dunes and wait for any unsuspecting, tired, and exhausted victims to stumble nearby for them to ambush and kill their prey with their powerful claws and potent venom from their powerful stingers. They get their name of sometimes catching their victims from above them and drag them under the dunes where the dunes become their graves.

They are apparently more active in the day but they are just as dangerous during the night, that most travelers try to avoid the dunes as best as they can.

"And you came from there and made it out without a single scratch! You must be lucky or something that would take a miracle to make it out there alive!" He added like he was shocked and trying to comprehend the situation that shouldn't be possible.

"I wouldn't count on it." The traveler responded. "I wouldn't deceive myself into thinking luck is some divine interference that will always be shining down on ya, like you're special, and protect ya from the Grimm and other dangers. Ya gotta rely on your wits, skills, experience, and even your aura and semblance on a daily basis to keep yourself alive or you're Grimm chow in the end. That's what I consider 'lucky'." The traveler said but than adds one more to his sentence. "But... if you still think luck is a thing, which I can respect, you should remind yourself it won't always protect you."

He turns his head back in front of himself and gently nudges his camel which moves forward again.

The guard was at a loss of words at hearing how nonchalant and bored this guy sounds, yet, sounds so wise what he just told them. Now they are wondering what exactly happened out there and and how he managed to get through the dunes without getting attacked by the Grimm, especially on a camel.

With the traveler entering the city, the guards went back to their posts and continued their guard duties but the guard that the traveler spoke to directly went to his position seconds after

With that out of the way, the traveler enters Bardus.

The inside of Bardus makes it more obvious how it's a shadow of what it was supposed to be; The streets were dusty and littered with all kinds of garbage that most of the citizens don't even bother to clean up. Most of the buildings were worn down and out of date but they still had some additional features, such as neon signs and street lamps that keep the city lit at night. Lastly, every citizen here is a faunus and not a single human in sight..

The kangaroo faunus dismounts his camel. Thanks to being in the light now, people get a full view of his appearance.

At the age of 18 and standing at 5'11", he has a well toned and built body, a slight tan complexion, along with his kangaroo tail that's long and sturdy.

He's wearing a sandy beige cargo vest with dark violet edgings. The vest itself has a lot of pockets stashed with all kinds of dust in protective cases designed to take heavy impacts without breaking.

He's also wearing sandy colored cargo pants, a black belt, and beige leather boots with dark gray soles and black shoe laces, a shark tooth necklace around his neck, and black fingerless gloves on his hands with violet outlines.

He also has several aboriginal-esque tattoos on his arms and legs that are visible but he has more hidden under his clothes.

The most prominent on his right arm is a violet kangaroo and the the one on his left leg is the sun, which is also violet in color and is basically a circle with a swirl in the center and the outside has pointed lines sticking out which makes it look like the sun.

His fancy looking barmah hat is also beige colored and decorated with crocodile teeth.

Lastly, he has what appears to be a pair of metal boomerangs strapped to his hips.

To those who want to know this mysterious young man; his name is Nigel Arvo.

He takes a look around and sees how busy the place is, yet not a single smile or hint of joy is seen… or felt. He knows this place is not like any peaceful city, like Vale. So he needs to keep a low profile and stay on high alert while heading to the place he needs to be at.

"_Alright. Seems I've made it here." _Nigel thought. _"Now's the time to take find a little well deserved break until the time it right."_

He grabs his camel's reins and guided it towards a nearby open pen where all the other animals that are used for transportation, like horses, mules, and other camels, are kept when their owners are not using them. Once he tied his camel to it's post, he fetches a bucket of water and food as the camel is resting on its knees and starts gulping down the water, filling up it's stomach.

Nigel pats his camel on the neck and heads off into the city. Though, he can't help but feel he's being watched and narrows his eyes in slight determination and caution as he walks further into the city.

* * *

**10 minutes later.**

He's already in the deeper parts of Bardus and he knows he has to stay on high alert, as the crowds of people are more abundant, any of them could be secretly following him.

Around him are the faunus citizens but most are minding their own business while others stare at him in boredom… or as if they see him as a potential victim to mug.. or to murder. But Nigel ignores them and keeps walking forward. Besides, he knows how to defend himself so he ain't too worried.

Further down, he sees an entire gang of faunus thugs hanging around and brandishing their weapons that were guns or blades. Some were drinking, smoking, playing games on their scrolls, or even just simply standing their bored out of their minds. Heck, two were even playing rock paper scissors… and the two keep ending up with rock and no winner.

One of them, presumably the leader, is a jackal faunus with jackal ears over his dark gray hair that's combed back and has yellow streaks that resemble lightning bolts. He's wearing a camouflage gray vest, camouflage military pants, combat boots, and gray armored pads on his elbows and knees. He also wears a red cape that flows behind his back. He stands around 6'2" and has a pretty muscular build.

His emblem that's on his chest is some kind of medal badge with the head of a silver colored jackal and has a golden lightning bolt behind it.

Though, if one would notice… there's something crimson hanging on his neck from a chain.

He's busily juggling and twirling his combat knife. As he notices Nigel coming, he gives off a scary and psychotic grin, showing one of his teeth being made of gold that twinkles, as if he's trying to intimidate the stranger.

But Nigel ignores him as he doesn't even look at him. The Jackal faunus growls in annoyance of the insolent amateur ignoring him like he's some wannabe that's trying to be scary, but is harmless, which further angers him.

However, his second in command, an antelope faunus with antelope horns, wearing rather ragged clothing, a pair of goggles over his eyes, armored pads on his shoulders, and wearing a red bandana on his head, notices the violet sun tattoo on the teen's left leg. He nudges his boss' shoulder and points at Nigel's leg as the jackal faunus notices… he gets suspicious and narrows his eyes for a few seconds until Nigel was out of sight.

The jackal faunus turns his head towards one of his goons, who is a gecko faunus.

The gecko faunus is a rather tall fellow, almost as tall as his boss but still pretty tall, around 6'1". He's wearing a red and white stripped shirt under a dark green jacket with white stripes on the shoulders that's left open and he's wearing dark blue jeans. He has a rather short buzzcut that it would take a lot of focus up close to consider he has red hair. He also has a gecko tail that gently whips back and forth, while also having a few brightly colored scales on his face.

The Jackal faunus gives him the signal with a nod… and the gecko faunus isn't responding as he looks like he's in lala land…. and his eyes are cross eyed... and he's got a rather funky uni-brow.

The Jackal faunus orders one of his antelope faunus goon to smack him in the back of the head to reality which he does. the gecko faunus does a rather goofy, mock salute while his tongue hangs up.

"Private Whip Tail reporting for duty!" Shouted the gecko faunus in a rather goofy and dim witted tone while his eyes are still cross eyed.

The Jackal faunus doesn't answer and just leaned his head in the direction where Nigel is heading.

The gecko, now revealed to be named Whip Tail, looks in the direction and actually spots Nigel.

"You got it, Boss!" Whip Tail shouted in a rather excited tone and springs into action. He leaps towards the nearby wall of the building and begins crawling across it at a fast pace and following Nigel but far enough away to not be detected.

* * *

**15 minutes later.**

Nigel continues forward and now it's getting a little more crowded but still spacious enough to not feel cramped.

On his right, he notices a gang of female faunus in their late teens mid 20's, busily standing on the sidewalk, wearing slightly revealing clothing, just hanging around together, but are also armed with their weapons of choice.

Most of them were either texting on their scrolls, chewing and blowing bubblegum, or even casually talking about their boyfriends/girlfriends.

One of them, in her mid 20's, standing at 5'11", presumably the leader. She's a dark haired snake faunus, with crimson scales on her face and red slitted pupils, black hair that's styled in a bob cut that has several crimson streaks snaking across it. She wears a black tube top that covers her rather impressive and well endowed chest, a silver fur coat she wears that covers much of her back, a crimson skirt that stops above her knees, black fishnet stockings that cover her rather impressive legs, and a pair of black high heel boots in which her left boot has her emblem that's a crimson snake wrapped around a crimson skull.

There's also something on her neck that's silver and on a chain.

She's smoking a cigarette holder and notices the kangaroo faunus walking by. She makes a suggestive hiss and flicks her snake tongue out towards him to draw his attention, planning to try to lure him to her so she can strike where he least expect it and steal whatever lien he has.

Nigel ignores her, not even glancing at her, which causes her to angrily hiss at him in annoyance of being ignored and inhales her cigarette again. She takes great pride in her beauty and those that ignore her slightly cracks her pride.

Her henchwomen stared at her and than back at the kangaroo faunus who kept walking.

The Snake faunus' second in command; a blonde hyena faunus, with hyena ears, wearing a white shirt that has writing that says "Daddy's Little Killer." under a black red jacket, a pair of jean shorts that's colored blue and pink by each half, with pigtails that's colored in pink and blue each by the tips, and holding an advanced metal bat that appears to have slotted holes in them that are closed, takes noticed of Nigel's tattoos and frowns a little.

She nudges her leader who is further annoyed but looks into the direction of her pointed finger.. and notices the violet kangaroo tattoo on his right arm…. she too gets suspicious as she narrows her eyes.

She turns to one of her henchwoman, a jumping spider faunus.

The jumping spider faunus is the youngest of the team, at the age of 16, standing around 5'3", has dark veins all over her skin and cheeks, and has an extra pair of eyes on her head. She has short, purplish-black, hair that is neatly brushed and has two small pigtails on top. Her clothing is rather simple but makes her look rather adorable; she wears a simple black hoodie jacket with purple streaks that has a symbol of cute spider that's hanging by a spider thread with the top ending with a heart. She also wears a pair of dark purple shorts and black shoes and purple socks.

Her name is Bitsy.

She was twiddling her thumbs and innocently humming a sweet song, until her boss gives her a signaling hiss.

She slightly jumped in slight surprise and turned her head to her boss.

The snake faunus points her cigarette holder in the direction and specifically points it at Nigel and Bitsy sees him.

She couldn't help but slightly blush at the young kangaroo faunus for noticing his muscles but orders are orders and she must follow him.

She hesitantly and shyly jumps onto the nearby wall of the building and follows Nigel with Tail Whip in pursuit.

* * *

**5 minutes later.**

Now Nigel has entered the town square.

Out here, it's more spacious but that doesn't make it any less dangerous than in the alleys and streets.

Nigel notices a few white fang members, wearing those grimm masks, gathered in the middle of the square with one of them standing on a metal platform and making a long speech with some faunus gathered and listening… yeah, he can tell these guys are trying to rally up more "brothers and sisters" to join the White Fang.

The one that's presenting his speech is wearing a long monk-like robe that covers his entire body and a plague doctor-esque grimm mask which has a long beak and is covered in red Grimm markings. He's also really tall, at 6'6", extremely lanky and thin, especially his arms, which are barely poking out of his robes, which have little to no muscle mass. He even looks slightly hunched over.

"_Oh great." _Nigel mentally sighed. _"As if this city hasn't had enough problems and issues it needed. Now we got a White Fang wanker rallying up more sheep for their cause." _It's one of those more radical members in the White Fang attempting to gather up more members with those ridiculous speeches to persuade the crowds to join them, while exaggerating them too.

"Here me, my brothers and sisters." Announced the White Fang member giving his speech in a calm and eerie manner, as a lot of faunus that were interested, gathered around and listening. In front of them were holographic presentations that showed many images of the faunus in slave labor. Some were being whipped, some were pushing/pulling the mine carts full of dust, some were even laying on the ground in exhaustion while their human owners kick and beat them while their down.

"For many years, even far back as the beginning of our existence. We've been oppressed and discriminated by the humans for too long. We've been treated as slaves, tools, _animals_." He added emphasis on the last word. "We work off of our lives in the mines for their dust that they hardly share to us in return". Than the screen shows a picture of Ghira Belladonna and a picture of Sienna Khan next to him.

"Ever since Ghira Belladonna has stepped down from his position as leader of the White Fang, things have changed and the White Fang has gained a new opportunity and ideal. The great and wise Sienna Khan has risen in power and now she's taking a new approach that will give us the chance to earn the respect we deserve."

Some faunus starting to sound interested while others didn't look so sure. But they still layed eyes on him.

"And so, I have come to give you an opportunity to make a difference. If you all step forward and join our cause, you will never have to be looked down on by the humans again. You will-"

The tattooed faunus rolls his eyes and sighs again, as he starts walking away, already tired of this nonsense. _"That's enough rubbish for me." _

He's glad he reached the town square since there's a bar called the Dingodile and it's right over the direction that he's walking towards.

Even when walking away, he can still here that maniac spouting his speech…. but he can't help but feel sorry for what the White Fang has become. He actually once admired and respected the old approaches what the White Fang used to do and the more pacifist solutions Ghira used to offer… heck, even his ancestors were victims too among the humans and they too once tried to bring equality as well.

But now it seems the White Fang, lead by Sienna Khan, is using violence as their means to get what they want and it will only bring more violence and bloodshed, further widening the gap between the faunus and humans for equality. Even the current symbol that looks more menacing doesn't help.

Such a shame. The truth is that most faunus are in fact treated with equality across much of Remnant, especially in places like Vale. Only a few places that actually treat faunus equally are places like Vale and Vacuo, which are in Sanus itself. Sadly, other continents like Solitas and Anima have mixed opinions and treatment on the faunus… with some even owning them as slaves.

But that doesn't matter to him now. He has his own things to deal with and came here for one reason that he will get when the time is right.

However, as Gale was walking away, the tall White Fang member that was giving the speech suddenly shifted his eyes, that are hidden behind his mask, towards Nigel and stares at him, as he's walking away from him...

Nigel couldn't help but feel someone is watching him and turned his head around but all he sees is that preacher doesn't appear to be focused on him and is busily focused on the crowd that is paying attention to him... Nigel wasn't sure but something doesn't feel right about that guy...

Gale turns his attention back to the bar.

He enters the Dingodile, as he hears old country music playing. It's a simple bar with rows of tables with customers drinking or talking, plenty of space to move around, along with a pool table to play pool and a dartboard on the wall.

Several waitresses, most of them being rabbit faunus with rabbit ears, are moving around, serving food and drinks to their customers while the bartender is at his counter, cleaning a glass with a cloth.

The tattooed faunus heads over to the counter and takes a seat as the bartender looks at him.

"You want something?" The bartender, a mouse faunus with mouse ears, asks.

"Just some water… and an orange slice with it." The Kangaroo faunus said as the bartender quickly fetches his drink. He takes a sip and sighs in content as he now plays the waiting game.

He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and reads it again.

Despite knowing what it is, It's an advertisement that shows an event taking place here in Bardus that sums up a huge reward.

The event is a one night fighting match where one must defeat the represented champion of the arena in order to win the reward. It can be as many people who signed up until the champion loses and the winner earns the reward. The reward in question is five hundred thousand lien and a second reward is a question mark, indicating this secondary reward is a mystery and can only be revealed if you come to the designation. The representative champion, who turns out to go by the title and name "Tiny", is said to be a force to be reckoned with and claimed to be undefeatable

"_A secondary prize that's a mystery? Interesting." _Nigel thought and wonders what that mystery reward could be as he looks at his scroll to check the time. "_However, I wanna meet this so called champion in person and see if he can back up those claims that say he's undefeatable."_

He checks his scroll to see what time it is. It's only 9:25 right now and it doesn't start until Midnight.

Plenty of time to rest and prepare. While he waits, he scans around the room and sees all kinds of thugs at their tables downing their booze. Not far from him, are two random thugs, one that's skinny with a lizard tail and one that's a bit chubby with cockroach antenna.

"I'm telling ya. Once I get enough lien in my savings, I will be able to leave this continent to another and find a more fitting lifestyle." Said the skinny thug with a lizard tail.

"Why's that?" Asked the other thug. "Not like I really care or anything but why leave a place like this fit for thugs like us?

"It's because of sand." Answered the first thug without missing a beat.

The second thug was dumbfounded and stumped at hearing his buddy's answer.

"The reason you want to leave this continent… is because of sand?" the second thug asked in a "you gotta be joking" tone.

"Yes." Answered the first thug. "I don't like it…. it's coarse, it's rough, it's irritating, and it gets everywhere." He says casually as the second thug looks completely dumbfounded but answers anyways.

"Well news flash for ya." He said deadpan tone. "Until you get enough lien in your savings to leave Menagerie, you're stuck here and you'll find sand that's nearly everywhere so get used to it."

This is going to be a while. Might as well pass the time as Nigel goes over to the pool table to play pool ball and maybe some darts after.

Above him are the two scouts, Tail Whip and Bitsy, that were ordered by their bosses to follow him, crawling on the ceiling, undetected. They noticed the paper he was reading and that's all they needed to know as they snuck through a nearby window and headed back to their bosses to report the status of the situation.

* * *

**10 minutes later**

The Jackal faunus and Snake faunus were patiently waiting several blocks away, with their followers standing right behind them. Oddly, they are standing rather close together but the Jackal and Snake faunus were busily staring ahead and waiting for their scouts to return.

Whip Tail and Bitsy return to their respective bosses, as they leap from a roof top and land with grace... well... Whip Tail ends up falling flat on his face, while Bitsy is the one that landed with grace.

The Jackal faunus wanted to facepalm but lets that pass, as he knows Tail Whip can be quite clumsy.

Both Whip Tail and Bitsy told their bosses and teammates everything about that kangaroo faunus and what he has but rather quietly so no one else could hear them.

Both the Jackal and Snake faunus glance at each other for a second with frowns but nodded.

They are gonna devise a plan that involves Nigel and hope this may work.

It's their only chance to get what they are seeking...

* * *

**3 hours later.**

It has been a couple of hours but it seemed time flies when you're focused on something else. He already finished pool and darts a while ago, quite easily no less, and now he's playing some games on his scroll. But since it is time now, he must get moving as he pays his lien to the partender for his drinks and heads out.

Once he stepped outside, it's now pitch black out as the stars twinkle in the sky and the moon itself shining it's light down on the city. The neon signs continue to glow and street lamps also shine the street and sidewalks.

He notices that crazy White Fang member that was giving the speech and his team are now gone. In fact, much of the town square has more space now.

"_Seems that Wanker's gone, probably a little while ago… good. Glad I don't have to hear any more of his blubbering." _He thought in relief. "_Though, he likely already gathered new recruits to join the White fang…"_

Nigel now heads towards the direction where the events taking place. The Kangaroo faunus also joins the crowd… but he doesn't know he's being watched by two pairs of eyes peering from the alleys that belong to a masculine figure with a feminine figure standing next to him.

Many have gathered towards one building that stands out among the rest. It's a rather decently large building that was cylinder in shape, two stories high, and had a dome shaped roof covering the top of it with a few open windows around the building. It's covered in tons of neon signs and posters that announce the upcoming event, as everyone came here for the entertainment and the contenders came for the lien and mystery award.

The faunus, most of them being men and a few woman in tow, who are the audience, head up the stairs, while the ones that signed up to fight head into a different entrance which is at the bottom floor in which Nigel is heading towards.

As he enters through, he's inside a the waiting room as he and the other contestants patiently wait for the event to get started. He looks around and sees all the other contenders are either minding their own business, glaring at each other, or even at him. Surrounded by bigger guys, Nigel can't help but feel a little small, not that it intimidates him or anything but he couldn't help but feel puny for once.

Several minutes has passed, until an employee who is setting up the event, comes in and announces the situation.

He tells everyone that the rules are simple…. There are no rules… except no weapons are allowed and Semblances are fine, that is if anyone has one.

Do whatever it takes to beat the champion, Tiny, as long as he's unable to fight any longer or his aura is shattered.

Simple enough.

As the fighters prepare to fight, they had a weapons inspector to check everyone not concealing a weapon…. including in some places…..

Nigel walked to a nearby bathroom and took off his vest and shirt but kept his pants and shoes on. With his shirt and vest off, one could see his muscular and toned midsection and shoulders. But now there are also even more tattoos strewn across his back and shoulders, all in violet color. He also takes his pants off and reveals to wear skin tight shorts to help him move around with little friction as possible but they also show off his muscular legs and thighs, as he removes his boots and socks after.

He also takes off his hat which now shows his hair that's black with violet streaks at the tips. He signs and puts his removed clothing into a nearby locker but carefully takes the dust out and organizes them carefully on a shelf of his locker. He removes his bladerangs, and puts them in his locker as well.

He closes the locker door and locks it with a lock he brought with him that can only open by a code he knows. He doesn't have to worry as the lock is designed to withstand strong blows from anyone trying to break it.

With that done, he heads back out and stands last in line as the fighters take turns entering the arena.

Nigel may be in the back but he can hear the announcer going full ham on announcing what's happening… but the first fight didn't last long as suddenly Nigel felt the ground shake for a second and he heard loud cheers.

"OOOOOH! THAT'S GOTTA HURT!" Yelled the announcer. "BET HE'S GONNA BE FEELING THAT IN THE MORNING!"

A minute later, Nigel sees the first fighter… knocked out and many teeth also knocked out of his mouth as he's taken away on a stretcher…. Most of the fighters gulped nervously as they watch the first contestant go as he didn't even last a minute out there.

As time passed, Nigel keeps watching more and more fighters enter, some last longer, but ultimately end up beaten anyways. One by one, they end up on stretchers and all looked like they got hit by a truck.. or a train.. or a train pulling a cargo of trucks.

Nigel feels a little bit of pity to those guys that got beaten to a pulp but he also mentally assures them he will beat Tiny.

He takes a big sigh and steps forward into the arena.

"_Might as well get this over this." _Nigel mentally said as he finally steps into the arena and looks around.

The arena is circular in shape and surrounded by a 15 foot tall wall where the audience are sitting at and watching the fight. Most are cheering and yelling at the top of their lungs in excitement. Some of the girls are now suddenly blushing when they gazed at Nigel because he's going in this battle shirtless, he especially looks more nice with those impressive tattoos.

Nigel ignores the crowd and turns his attention to the announcer who has the prize on a table.

The prize is an open briefcase with tons of lien cards in it… now where is that second mysterious prize that is being so hyped about…?

That's where Nigel saw it and his eyes suddenly widened and glistened. For the first time in quite a while, Nigel loses his stoic expression.

Sitting next to the briefcase is a chocolate bar… but not just your ordinary run of the mill chocolate bar.

That is a one of kind rare dark chocolate bar crafted from the richest and most freshly grown cocoa beans that came from a now extinct breed of cocoa trees that made the finest cocoa beans in Remnant. They are now extinct and this chocolate bar is rumored to be the last of its kind.. and now it's revealed to be the mystery prize.

"_No way…." _Nigel thought in disbelief. _"THAT'S the prize…? Alright. I'm definitely winning this match."_

Nigel shakes his head and focuses back to reality and goes back to his stoic expression that's also his game face.

Nigel was so distracted by the crowd and prize that he didn't even notice what's in the arena… and he sees tons of craters on the floors and walls… and some blood splattered across the floors and walls. Nigel turns his attention to the large opponent standing 20 feet away from him.

In front of Nigel is the champion… Tiny.

Tiny turns out to be a Tasmanian Tiger Faunus… and yet his appearance definitely contradicts his name.

Tiny stands at a whopping 6'8", with an extremely muscular upper body building with muscles that even the veins are visible. He's wearing lime green pants with black spots. He's also wearing spiked shoulder pads on his shoulders and spiked armbands on his wrists.

Tiny has a pair of tasmanian tiger ears on his head and sharp teeth in his mouth as he gives a scary grin.

Meanwhile, the announcer, a howler monkey faunus with a monkey tail, starts his speech… and boy does he really like to be loud.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" He loudly announces that sounds like he's screaming his head off. "IT HAS BEEN QUITE AN EPIC AND INTENSE EVENT OF MATCHES AND BLOODSHED! BUT NOW IT SEEMS WE ARE NEAR AN END AS WE HAVE OUR FINAL CONTESTANT THAT HAS ENTERED THE PIT! WILL THE TATTOO KANGAROO BEAT TINY AND RETRIEVE HIS PRIZE?! OR WILL HE FALL LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND TINY REMAINS THE CHAMPION?! FIND OUT AS WE PREPARE THE MATCH!

Nigel gives a slightly annoyed expression at how loud the announcer is being but more so of giving him a random title name for the arena.

_"Couldn't it have been more subtle and less obvious?" _Gale thought annoyed.

He focuses back again as he stares at Tiny who gives a creepy grin as if he's planning to crush Nigel like a little bug.

"Prepare to suffer, tattoo kangaroo! I will beat you like a bongo drum! I will hand you out like dirty laundry!"

The announcer was about to start the match but was interrupted by Tiny as he keeps rambling on which starts to annoy Nigel. "I am the master mechanic! The Alpha and the Omega! I will put a hurting on you, shrimp! I'm gonna tear you up into shreds! AND THEN I'M GONNA TAKE THOSE SHREDS AND TEAR THEM UP INTO LITTLE SHREDS!" He continues.

"_Alright… now this is just getting annoying… Might as well just take the initiative" _Nigel thought as he suddenly leaps forward but Tiny is too focused on his rant that he doesn't see Nigel throwing his leg out.

"I will make your mother cry-" But Tiny doesn't finish his rant as he takes a kick to the face that makes him stumble back.

"Oh Please." Nigel deadpanned. "My mother would easily kick your arse and send you to the naughty corner for acting like a loud and spoiled child who thinks he's the king of the hill." Nigel said... though, as much as it sounds like mockery and sarcasm... he's not entirely wrong.

_"And boy... can mother be scary when she wants to be..." _Nigel thought as he remembers his mother... who used to be one of his teachers that trained him how to fight to as where he is now... as she used to be a rather rowdy and rough huntress in her younger days. She may be retired today, to settle down at raising a family, she still has her raw power and skills.

Tiny recovers and gives a death glare at Nigel. "Now stop mumbling and get to fighting." The Kangaroo faunus said at his opponent, as he looks rather bored and annoyed at Tiny.

"YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Tiny yells at the top of his lungs and rushes forward.

Nigel was surprised and slightly caught off guard; for a guy his size, he's pretty fast that Nigel had to lean his head out of the way as Tiny's giant fist rushes past him, so hard that a decent gust of wind was felt and caused Nigel's hair to ruffle a bit. Tiger keeps throwing wild punches that Nigel was forced back against the wall but moved his head to the side at the last split second… and Tiny's fist left a large crater in the wall which surprised Nigel but kept his cool.

"_His aiming's a little off… but that's made up in pure power." _Nigel comments as he continues to duck and weave around more punches. _"Gotta avoid them and not waste my aura on them."_

After dodging a few more swings, Nigel had to lean back to dodge a fierce uppercut which left him open and gave Nigel time to land a fierce punch to the side of his abdomen which causes Tiny to grunt and skid back a few feet. The punch wasn't too bad but still pretty strong to send him back.

_"_Damn! _For such a little twerp… he sure hits really hard! Not to mention how fast he is!" _Tiny thought as he tries blocking Nigel's punches and kicks but he couldn't block all of them as a few hit their marks.

Tiny suddenly performs a roundhouse kick which made Nigel duck and than forced to jump as Tiny followed with a sweep kick. That left Nigel a little open as Tiny threw forward a powerful. Nigel managed to think in time as he managed to raise his legs and planted his right foot on the fist and used it like a platform to leap off of Tiny and land a safe distance away. That actually surprised everyone how Nigel was vulnerable in midair yet managed to counter the punch by using it to his advantage.

Tiny wasn't deterred as he grins again. "I may not look like it, but I do know a few fancy moves." He suddenly leaps in the air, does a front flip, and comes down with a dive kick. "Which I will use to flatten you!"

Nigel leaps out of the way as Tiny impacts the ground with his foot which also leaves a large crater.

"_Okay. Maybe I have misjudged him a little." _Nigel admitted. _"He does seem to know a few martial arts to compliment with his strength… but still." _Nigel continues to dodge. _"It's not very useful if it can't hit your target."_

Both fighters continue their duel as the crowd cheers at the top of their lungs. Time has passed for a few minutes but both don't look close to being winded.

Tiny managed to back Nigel into a corner, limiting his options for mobility and tries indenting his face into the wall but Nigel barely moves his head out of the way and hits Tiny in the shoulder with a hard hand chop which made Tiny flinch and gave Nigel time to shove him back with a double kick.

Now Tiny is getting pissed as he tries to grab Nigel but kangaroo faunus counters with a high kick to the chin which made Tiny reel back, followed by Nigel giving Tiny his own roundhouse kick to the side of his head which stunned him and made him stumble back again.

But Tiny suddenly hunches close to the ground and dashes forward, tackling Nigel, and wrapping his arms around his torso. Nigel holds his ground to not trip and fall, but still skids back several feet.

Nigel slightly panics and realizes he's in a bad position that Tiny has the advantage over.

He slams his elbows on Tiny's back but it doesn't deter him as he tries to lift Nigel but the kangaroo faunus knees him in the stomach hard enough to force him to fall forward.

Nigel is on his back but Tiny tries to punch him since he has him pinned down, but Nigel rolls to the side and instantly counters with with two quick jabs to the face that stun him yet again.

This gave Nigel time to wrap both of his legs around Tiny's neck and began to squeeze.

He's trying to suffocate him to knock him out, which counts as part of the rules of beating Tiny, and Nigel so wants that chocolate bar, in addition to the lien.

But Tiny ain't giving up as he fights back and tries to pry Nigel's legs off but the Kangaroo faunus' strong legs and thighs are like a vice and he's already starting to lose air.

He tries punching Nigel but his punches started getting weaker and Nigel wouldn't let go. He tries standing up but Nigel changes tactics and uses his own weight and momentum to fling Tiny face first into the hard concrete floor which partially shattered the floor and Tiny got a mouthful of concrete.

Nigel rolled to safety while Tiny spat out pieces of concrete out of his mouth and was about to stand back up but Nigel leaps forwards and goes on the offense which forced Tiny to lift his forearms and shield his head.

Nigel now starts going all out on Tiny, with all types of smacking, punching, and kicking him in nearly every spot that's left unprotected. Not to mention he's moving all over the place and hitting Tiny in nearly every place except the face and he's slowly but surely chipping down his aura

Tiny tries to protect his face but he's still taking damage anywhere else on his body. His eyes dart around, trying to track where Nigel is coming from and where he's gonna move to next…. THERE!

Tiny reached out and caught Nigel's leg and grips it tight. Nigel was surprised but couldn't react in time as Tiny now starts slamming him repeatedly on the floor, leaving deep imprints and cracks. Than Tiny grabs him by the head and slams him face first into the wall so hard that it heavily cracked it. He doesn't stop there, as he starts running alongside the wall, grinding Nigel's face against it, leaving a gashed trail of the wall. Nigel starts taking damage but Tiny ends it by throwing him across the room and Nigel slams against the wall from the other side and heavily craters it.

The audience cringed and flinched at the beatdown as Nigel slides to the floor, lays there for a second, groaning in pain, but manages to quickly recover and stand back up but that took a good chunk of his aura as the holographic screen above shows it.

"Ow…" Nigel groaned but he was otherwise fine thanks to his aura. As he recovered, He had his back turned from Tiny, trying to think of another strategy.

"How's that for ya, shrimp?" Tiny mocked but Nigel kept his back turned and seems to ignore him. Tiny growls in annoyance of Nigel seemingly ignoring him. "Oi! I'm talking to you!"

As Nigel tried to think of something… he heard the sound of someone spitting… and felt something wet and slimy hit the back of the head….

Tiny spitted a loogie at Nigel which splattered all over the back of Nigel's head and even a bit of his neck.. dripping and sliding down the rest of his neck.

Nigel suddenly shuts his eyes and stands while trying to keep himself in control and not let loose as he feels sudden anger rising inside him...

He hears a voice in his head. It's actually him that's thinking it but hears it as the voice of an old and wise man he knows dearly.

"_**This mustn't be registered on an emotional level."**_

Nigel's eyes suddenly open.. and are glowing a violet hue as he looks so calm and focused.

Time slows down as everything in his perspective takes a sudden shift. In his vision, everything has darkened as if the lights dimmed down, along with being a darker violet shade. Everything he sees appears to slightly distort as if he's looking at a mirage.

Nigel uses his semblance.

Around him… he senses… emotions…. what everybody around him is feeling; joy, sadness, disgust, fear, anger, etc..

But emotions are not the only thing he can sense.

He can see the aura from the crowd that takes the form of flickering flames of varying colors and intensity. Most of the aura from the audience is dim and low. Even some don't even have aura as they appear to lack any flickering flames. However, he momentarily notices two amongst them that shine brighter and more intensely; one that's silver and the other crimson. He narrows his eyes but turns his attention to Tiny's.

Coming from Tiny, Nigel can sense the feelings of overconfidence, cockiness, rage, and pride.

Nigel can sense Tiny's aura behind him, that's lime green in color, that's intense and bright but, wild, unfocused, and lacks proper concentration to keep it all condensed around the body like a proper forcefield. That could potentially leave out some openings in some parts of the body that is vulnerable.

Nigel suddenly forms a plan in his head as he visualizes himself facing Tiny where everything is still distorted and violet shaded. He's predicting a possible outcome but with some risks that he needs to plan carefully.

"_**First… distract the opponent."**_

Nigel suddenly tosses what looks like some kind of object in the opponent's face which causes him to react by reflex.

"_**Than block his blind jab."**_

He easily blocks the jab by smacking it down with his hand, leaving the opponent open.

"_**Counter with a cross to the right cheek"**_

He jabs forward and impacts Tiny's right cheek causing him to reel back.

"_**Discombobulate."**_

He follows up by slamming both of his hands on both sides of Tiny's head, right in the ears. Causing his ears to painfully ring and slightly daze him.

"_**Dazed. He'll attempt a wild haymaker."**_

Tiny throws a reckless haymaker but Nigel easily sees it coming.

"_**Employ an elbow block."**_

He easily blocks the haymaker with his elbow and counters after.

"_**And body shot."**_

He punches Tiny right in the midsection and the tasmanian tiger faunus reels back in pain.

"_**Block roundhouse kick with forearm"**_

Tiny does a roundhouse kick but it's stopped cold when Nigel blocks with with his forearm. Tiny looks shocked and scared at what's about to happen next.

"_**Downward elbow strike to the kneecap"**_

Nigel strikes Tiny's knee with a downward elbow strike and loud crack was heard. Tiny reels in pain as he clutches his knee.

_**Initiate a knee strike to the face."**_

Nigel grabs Tiny's head and launches a powerful knee strike to his face. Recoiling from the impact and his nose looks bent and broken. He tries to fight back but it's fruitless.

"_**Block feral right."**_

Nigel easily blocks it with his forearm.

"_**Weaken the left jaw."**_

Than he counters by striking the jaw with an elbow which dazes Tiny again.

"_**Now fracture it."**_

He jabs forward as a loud crack was heard once he hit it the jaw. Tiny is now helpless as he can't even try to go on the defense, while he's vulnerable and wide open.

"_**Break cracked ribs."**_

Nigel punches in the same spot where the ribs were cracked which now breaks them.

"_**Traumatize the solar plexus."**_

He punches forward again and damages the solar plexus.

"_**Dislocate the jaw entirely."**_

Tiny's jaw dislocates once Nigel's fist hits upon impact. Nigel suddenly leaps up, balances on his kangaroo tail, and folds his legs in like a spring as he prepares to launch a powerful kick.

"_**Kangaroo Kick to the diaphragm."**_

Nigel launches forward a powerful kangaroo kick in Tiny's midsection. Once the impact met, a powerful shockwave was released that kicked up the dust and sends Tiny flying at breakneck speed towards the wall but everything slows down again.

"_**In layman's terms; ears ringing, fractured jaw, fractured kneecap, a broken nose, three cracked ribs, two more broken ribs, and a hemorrhaging diaphragm. Full physical recovery; 9 weeks. Full psychological recovery; 7 months. Capacity to spit at the back of the head; neutralized."**_

Nigel returns to reality as time moves forward again but he also feels a minor headache that lasted for a second than it goes away…..

He rubs the back of his head and rubs the spit off of it.

He turns around and looks at Tiny who gives a glare and cocky smirk. Nigel doesn't react as he walks away a bit and pulls his chocolate bar he had earlier out as he unwraps it and finishes the remaining chocolate in a few bites, while holding the wrapper in his hand.

The crowd continues shouting in boredom and demands the fight to continue but Nigel ignores their calls and stares at Tiny who still smirks at him.

After several seconds of neither of the two moving… Nigel flicks the candy wrapper into Tiny's face.

Everything happened so fast as the sound of painful grunts, bones breaking, and finally a loud impact that created a decently large shockwave, followed by a loud thundering crash less than a split second later.

Everyone stopped shouting and the arena was silenced. Everyone didn't say a word as they tried to process what just happened.

Standing there is Nigel but Tiny is nowhere to be seen… until everyone turns their attention.. to a massive hole in the wall that leads to outside.

Outside of the building, many people that weren't watching the fight were shocked and confused what just happened.

They see a massive hole in the wall but also see a large trail of upturned pavement that's nearly two feet high and several dozens meters long, and see a large crater indented in the wall of another building… and there lays Tiny in it, who's unconscious. His aura was flickering for a few seconds until it broke.

Tiny's aura may have been able to reduce some damage but his lack of control and skill with it wasn't enough to completely protect him from Nigel's more precise and accurate aiming blows to specific spots on his body that broke his bones.

Nigel stands there as he cranes his neck around a few times as a few pops and cracks were heard, though, he was panting a bit and he's lost a little bit of aura but was otherwise pretty fine and looks like he could go another round.

"_Your control and flow of your aura may be poor… but I'll admit you're very tough and formidable in power and speed. I bet you could easily kill a pack of beowolves.. maybe an ursa or two… but you're way out of your league to what's really out there, mate. You might wanna practice on your aura, than maybe ya might be close to huntsman tier." _Nigel says mentally.

Even after a minute of what happened, the entire room remains completely silent, as Nigel stands there. Most of the audience had their jaws dropped and couldn't comprehend that this young lad easily beaten Tiny who easily thrashed every other fighter that signed up for tonight.. and yet he got his ass kicked by this 18 year old. Some guys around Nigel's age were intimidated while a few girls and young women looked more impressed and even slightly blushing. But most of the audience were shocked and scared of this young teen who suddenly shifted the tides so easily when he appeared to struggle at first.

Nigel turns his head up towards the crowd, specifically, at the announcer who has the briefcase of lien and chocolate on the table next to him as he sensed fear and shock leaking off the announcer.

The announcer himself was speechless of this sudden change of events where Tiny got his ass served on a silver platter and now stands this tattooed young man ultimately beating him, despite taking some intense hits.

Nigel calmly walks towards the edge and makes a sudden high leap, thanks to his muscular legs, and easily scales the height of the wall and lands on the second floor which surprised everyone again.

Nigel slowly turned his head towards everyone but he especially stared at the announcer.

_"Just who is this guy?!" _The announcer wondered in slight shock at seeing this guy. Heck, even seeing Nigel up close scares him a bit more because Nigel is giving off that stone cold stare like that fight didn't even make him bat an eye. The announcer was sweating, as Nigel stared at him in the eyes but Nigel turns his attention away from the announcer and towards the briefcase and chocolate.

Nobody says anything as Nigel walks to the table and closes the briefcase and carries it off.. and swipes the chocolate bar from the table too as he rips the wrapper off with his teeth and chomps a piece off and savoring the taste which he tries to contain himself to not embarrass himself in front of everyone.

He looks all tough and serious on the outside… but he's internally enjoying the chocolate with a big dumb grin on his face at the moment.

"_Delicious!"_

As Nigel heads off to the locker room to enjoy a nice shower, standing in the crowd is the jackal and snake faunus. Watching him go with that briefcase of money and that chocolate bar.

* * *

**30 minutes Later**

After taking a refreshing shower, Nigel exits the building, back in his clothes and has his hat back on, as he carries off the briefcase and already devoured his chocolate bar. And man was it delicious and the best he has tasted yet. He even wonders if there are more of them out there in Remnant, despite the rumors that the one he ate was the last… might as well give it a shot.

During his shower time, Tiny was being put on a stretcher and than into an ambulance as it drives off to the closest hospital.

Nigel doesn't really care but he actually respected and admitted Tiny was a tough and formidable opponent. Though, he could've fought him without his semblance but getting spitted on the back of the head momentarily angered him enough to use it.

But that's over now as Nigel got what he needs and heads towards his camel.

Though, he's still not out of the woods yet as he's being watched by dozens of eyes from the alleys and on top of the buildings.

Later again, he reached the town square which, for some reason, is completely empty, not even a single faunus in sight.

Nigel can't help but feel something isn't right. No. something's definitely not right.

Even on the least busiest nights, no way can a single faunus not be seen in sight and make the square look like a ghost town. Nigel activates his semblance for a second and then turns it off as he senses two familiar auras large auras he felt back at the arena.

"I know you're hiding and trying to land the drop on me where I least expect it but that's not gonna work. Come out now and reveal yourselves or this would be more difficult for me cause I'm in a hurry." Nigel said a little louder so they can hear him and he sounds annoyed as he is indeed in a hurry.

He hears footsteps that echo around him.

It's that jackal faunus and snake faunus he saw earlier, as the former appears from Nigel's left and the latter appears from his right.

Shortly after, their respective gang members also walk out of the shadows as they stood close to their respective bosses.

Nigel shifts his eyes to the left and right, making sure to stay ahead and not make a wrong move or they might pounce on him like a pack of wolves hunting a rabbit.

He momentarily activates his semblance again so he can sense their emotions much easier. He can still fairly sense emotions without his semblance activated but at a far lesser extent so he has to turn his semblance on for a better reading. However, it drains aura so he has to use it carefully.

He senses malicious and cruel intentions from the jackal faunus aimed at Nigel which means he wants to murder him… and yet he also senses bits of precaution and even hesitation to an extent.. But he also senses the Jackal faunus feeling concern that's aimed towards the snake faunus.

He also senses similar emotions from the snake faunus that's also malicious as she too wants to kill him... But he also senses precaution and hesitation as well. Again, he senses her feeling worried for the Jackal faunus too.

"I don't have to guess that why you two are here that likely involves the lien that I'm carrying?" Nigel deduced, pretending of being casual and cautious. Even if he can sense their emotions, they are crime lords nonetheless and he won't hesitate to fight back in self defense.

The jackal faunus chuckles in a polite manner and straightens his posture, as if trying to look like he's full of authority. with his arms crossed behind his back. He answers in a Mid-Atlantic accent that sounds very smooth and calm, yet sinister as well.

"Well. Aren't you as perceptive as you look." He answers politely and smiles to show off his golden tooth. "For a young man such as yourself, you stand out among most, that it makes people, like you, a rarity around these parts of Menagerie. Don't you agree, Madame Serpent?"

The snake faunus also joins the conversation, speaking in a french accent that sounded both seductive but also pretty cold. "Indeed, Monsieur Jackal. He does greatly interest us, that this might make this night interesting." Answered Madame Serpent says as she eyed at Nigel but glances at the Jackal faunus who also glanced at her too… Nigel suddenly sensed a slight hint of affection from her aimed at the faunus named Jackal than she turns her attention back to Nigel.

"In fact, you're ze eighth person I've encountered to have ever ignored my charms." She smiles but then turns into a frown. "And that makes moi want to add your precious little head to my collection with ze other seven that ignored moi…."

Nigel narrows his eyes at her… as threatening as she sounds, her emotions say otherwise like she's _trying_ to sound intimidating…

"Ahem." Said Jackal as he continues where he left off. "As I was saying; Seeing how you managed to defeat Tiny, an impressive feat, nonetheless, you proved yourself of earning the reward that you now carry with you."

"Oui. With that, you won ze five hundred thousand lien. Quite a large stash of money, if you ask moi." Madame Serpent added. "It's enough to spend on motherloads of precious material and dust… even enough that can last for years. Tell moi, what are you gonna do with all that money?" She smirked at Nigel.

"None of your business." Nigel rebutted but he knows where this could be going.

"Now now." Jackal says. "Let's not get too hasty as we got all night to negotiate."

Nigel went silent again but than wonders something. He felt a tad suspicious to them since he sensed them at the match and wonders how much they know about him.

"It sounds like you two know me, even though we just met." He says in slight suspicion as he tries to change the topic.

"Not exactly, dear boy." Answered Jackal. "We were lucky to have put the pieces together, when we saw you walk by us earlier and saw your violet tattoos, while also hearing the rumors across Menagerie of a traveling kangaroo faunus with those said tattoos. Not to mention your piece of paper about the match that you just won."

That surprised Nigel about the part of them catching him reading his paper of the match. He noticed the Whip Tail… who was picking his nose and being cross eyed again, while Bitsy was sheepishly waving at him, looking shy and even blushes a little when she got a good look at his handsome face. Nigel felt her emotions aimed at him and he can feel that she's a bit attracted to him... can't blame her as Nigel is quite handsome.

Nigel swore he used his semblance for a split second when he was in the bar.. but he didn't sense the two. Could it be that they have semblances to hide their presences or was their aura closed off enough that even he could not sense their emotions or aura? That doesn't matter now as he focuses on the situation he's in.

"Which brings us to the next topic." Said Jackal as Nigel sensed him calming down.

"And what would that be?" Nigel asks, narrowing his eyes and sounding slightly impatient.

Nigel now sensed a bit of frustration and a smaller hint of sadness from Jackal, despite looking calm and composed. Nigel doesn't even need to guess Jackal is trying to hide some sense of vulnerability.

"You see; Me, Madame Serpent, and our followers here are… well….let's just say we are suffering a little bit of a crisis in keeping ourselves well fed and supplied with the sustenance and resources of our weapons. With little resources that we are losing, we've already lost some of our gang members that either starved, were killed by other gangs, or left us to fend for themselves on their own. Such a crisis indeed...

Nigel also feels a similar emotion of vulnerability from Serpent, despite her looking bored and stoic on the outside.

Some of the gang members are feeling sad… as he can sense total sadness and even depression from them.. he can take a guess some of them may have had either friends, family members, or even lovers. Even Bitsy sheds a small tear for a second and Whip Tail also whimpered slightly. Nigel feels sympathy for a second there but doesn't show it to them to not cause suspicion.

"And your point is?" Nigel asks as he's getting a little impatient. He's got what he needs and he needs to get going but he can't help but feel slight pity to these two, yet, he ain't afraid to defend himself either.

"What Monsieur Jackal is trying to say, is that we would be taking that briefcase from you, if you don't mind." The snake faunus bluntly says, as she puffs her cigarette but Nigel senses her feeling a little desperate for that money… but not out of greed.

"Like bloody hell you would." Nigel growls. He came a long way getting this and now he ain't letting it get taken away, not after he traveled so far and worked so hard for this opportunity and now they want to steal it…. Still, he would normally say that to the more greedy and selfish criminals but these two feel different from the rest he met.

"Oh I understand that." Said Jackal, as he nods his head as if he's understanding but Nigel can sense frustration suddenly swelling up inside him, despite grinning and looking sinister. "All that you've worked for to suddenly be taken away which meant it was all for nothing in the end." He said. "In a dog eat dog world, like this and much of Remnant, one has their own needs for survival so it's inevitable we have to resort to violence, stealing, and cheating." Despite sounding so sincere to his words, his emotions say otherwise that feel like slight regret in doing it.

Nigel couldn't help but agree to that… Remnant may be reaching for peace but there's still lots of violence and hatred across it, especially out here in the deserts of Menagerie. And the Grimm that are attracted to all the negativity doesn't help.

"Which is why we suggest you give the briefcase to us and we'll be on our way so you can live another day." Madame Serpent orders threateningly as her henchwomen nod in agreement but Bitsy was slightly hesitant, until she joined in in agreement. Despite sounding threatening, it felt more like a slight plea under that serious exterior and also a hint of fear.

"Indeed." Jackal adds as he joined in. "I suggest you listen to the lady, dear boy, to make things easier between us."

"And what if I don't?" Nigel responds in a mocking fashion to intimidate them.. which he has as he can feel it from them. Even the goons and henchwomen are trembling

"Than you leave us with no choice but to use force, until you either give it to us… or we will take if off of your corpse, if we have to". Jackal said with a sadistic grin but his conflicted emotions and feeling not wanting to do it says otherwise.

Nigel is now putting the pieces together with these two crime lords. He's kinda feeling a little bit of sympathy to the two. But he can't let his guard down as he isn't completely convinced if they really are being desperate and scared or they are just bluffing. Either way, they are criminals nonetheless and if they want to fight for the lien, than so be it.

Nearby, he notices a statue in the middle of the town square… in incomplete statue that was half done and was unfinished, when Bardus suffered in decline. Still, the statue looks artistic in its own right as the statue had two legs, a wolf tail, and one arm that was holding a sword skywards. The only thing missing was the other arm and the head.

Nigel looks back at the two. "What makes ya think you can take my reward from me after you watched me thrashed Tiny like a rag doll?"

"Oh that's simple, chap" Jackal says. "You may have ultimately beaten that muscle head.. but he still did manage to soften you up, quite nicely, in that fight so you should be a little worn down to our liking."

"Oui, indeed." Added Serpent. "They say the best way to strike ze iron is when it's hot, especially at a given time like this." She puts her cigarette holder away while dropping the cigarette to the ground and putting it out beneath her boot.

As much as he doesn't like it… Nigel admits they are right on that part as he still hasn't fully recovered from Tiny's beating that took a good chunk of his aura… and can't use his trump card for now either.

At the same time, both Jackal and Serpent removed their respective clothing as their respective cape and fur coat fell to the ground. With their clothing removed, now the two are able to fight and move around much more easily.

Jackal draws and twirls his combat knives that are golden in color that spark electric bolts across them, while Serpent draws her red sais from her hips and twirls them for a second and gets into her pose but one would notice the tips of the sai appear to be glisten as if they are covered in some kind of dark purple liquid.

The goons and henchwoman join in too, as Whip Tail wields a, oversized, double barreled, bazooka over his shoulder, the antelope fanus wielding some automatic rifle with a chainsaw attached to it. The hyena faunus twirls her bat and blows another bubble and pops it. However, she presses a button and the closed slots on the bat open up and reveal to be spikes which now made the baseball bat looked like a spike club. Bitsy gets into a martial arts pose, while holding what appears to be a pair of blue kunai that she twirls in her hands, with a timid but determined stare. The rest follow with various weapons armed and ready.

Nigel knows this is inevitable and knows he has to fight.

"Alright. If you mates want the lien so bad…" Nigel says in a daring tone as he suddenly tosses the briefcase in the air which spins. During that, he grabs his bladerangs from his hip and twirls them as he got into his pose. The bladerangs are specialized weapons that are made of a special metal with gears grinding inside of them as they have slots to put the dust in for special effects.

They watch the briefcase suddenly get stuck by the handle on the tip of the statue's sword which is 30 feet up.

They turn their head back at Nigel who was now in his fighting position and looks at them with a rather serious expression.

"Than come and get it… after you get through me."

With that said, both Jackal and Serpent start sprinting at full speed towards Nigel. Nigel can tell these two are different than Tiny, as he can sense their aura is more focused but not as strong or intense, but they also make that up for speed as they are sprinting towards him at such a fast pace. He can also sense sheer determination from the both of them but also senses worry for each other.

Nigel suddenly leaps up and somersaults out of the way and avoids them, as they were surprised and tried to halt their sprint but it wasn't enough as the bumped into each other head on… and had their faces intimately close together and were blushing a bit. Even their noses were booping together.

Nigel is sensing a LOT of affection and embarrassment from the two.

"Well.. ain't that an interesting sight to see." Nigel jokes as he slightly grinned. "Want me to go find and rent a hotel room for you two?"

The two turn their direction towards him and glare daggers but were still blushing.

"Heh... I may be no cupid but I think you two like each other in some way." Nigel further teased. He isn't completely off, since he can detect their affections to each other.

Serpent was the first to make the move, as she charged forward at full speed again and starts swinging her sai, with deadly precision and skill, like she knows how to use them with sufficient ease. She angrily hissed at him, like he offended her, because now he senses her emotions of wanting to defend Jackal.

Nigel was easily dodging the swift swings and thrusts but he still got a few close call where the sai almost touched him. One slight graze barley touched his cheek but his aura protected him... but he also heard a sizzling sound and saw a tiny cloud of dark purple smoke that gave a rather noxious scent. Nigel wonders what that was but he focuses back to the situation. He counters, by grabbing Serpent's arm and kneeing her in the stomach which made her slightly gag and stumble back but she remained standing.

However, before he can hit back, Nigel swore he saw something zipped past him, at near lighting speed, and is right behind him. He quickly glances behind him and sees Jackal who looks slightly pissed and Nigel can sense Jackal's desire of wanting to protect Serpent as well.

His combat knives spark with yellow colored lightning and swings with such speed that Nigel barely even had time to react and block the knife with his bladerang which created an impact that sent sparks flying everywhere.

"It's gonna take more than that to even slow me down, mate." Nigel said as he keeps Jackal at bay.

"I know." Jackal replies. "Which is why we're not making this a one on one fight for you, unlike the tournament."

Nigel and Jackal than start trading blows with quick and fast strikes of their respective dual wielded weapons that more sparks started flying everywhere.

However, Nigel sees Serpent, in the corner of his eye, coming coming from behind and threw one of her sai at him. Nigel managed to block another strike from Jackal with one of his bladerangs and throws the other one at Serpent's sai which caused both thrown weapons to clash and bounce off each other. Serpent managed to recover her sai in midair, while Nigel's bladerang managed to come back to him and snatched it back into his hand.

Jackal tried to stab Nigel but the kangaroo faunus suddenly leans to the side and wraps his arm around Jackal's arm. Before Jackal could even respond, Nigel suddenly shoves Jackal into Serpent... and both crash into the ground... with Jackal's face buried in Serpent's chest.

Serpent's face turned red of embarrassment and Jackal instantly got off of Serpent, his face just as red as hers.

Nigel wanted to crack another joke but heard the sound of shooting which instantly made him react. He started leaping out of the line of gunfire and missiles as the goons and henchwomen opened fire and joined the fray. They all started to spread out in trying to surround him to make it easier to hit him.

Nigel throws his bladerangs that smack into several goons and henchwomen at once, some even knocking their weapons out of their hands while others weren't so lucky getting hit in the head and knocked out.

However, in the corner of his eye, Nigel sees two faunus, one from Jackal's team and the other from Serpent's. They are climbing the statue and trying to get the briefcase.

"Since when did I say you could get that behind my back?" Nigel asked, as he threw another bladerang at the two which hit their hands and caused them to fall down and hit the ground in a loud thud.

Whip Tail and Bitsy ran forward as they try to confront Nigel directly

Whip Tail attacks first, as he fired a volley of missiles in Nigel's direction but the kangaroo faunus easily maneuvered around them and even cut some of them with his bladerangs, which caused the severed pieces to fly off behind him and explode.

Whip Tail than tried to fight Nigel directly, swinging his double barreled bazooka like a club. Despite being very strong, he's a little bit slower than most, that Nigel doesn't even need to use his semblance to detect Whip Tail's emotions to dodge. Despite this, Whip Tail was surprisingly durable; every time Nigel managed to land a punch and a kick, he seemed to shrug it off rather quickly and tried to counter back.

As Whip Tail tried to swing again but Nigel ducked under it, and quickly got behind the gecko faunus, and grabbed him by the tail. With impressive strength, Nigel spun Whip Tail around until enough momentum was made and Nigel lets go, sending Whip Tail flying across the town square and smashes through a random bench which shattered to splinters. Despite the damage, Whip Tail quickly got back up and decides to fight long range again.

Whip Tail leaps towards and climbs up a nearby lampost until he reached the top and fires another volley of missiles while Bitsy suddenly starts zigzagging in a jumping fashion, making it look hard where she's heading.

Nigel throws his bladerangs again and takes out most of the missiles that exploded and lit up the night sky like fireworks, not even dented or damaged by the explosions, while dodging the rest. Just as he caught his weapons, he sees Bitsy darting towards him, armed with her blue kunai.

Bitsy is upon him and starts leaping in nearly every direction, so fast that she looks like a blur, as she tries to hit him in his blind spot or to throw him off balance but he seems to keep up with her. She tries to slash him with her kunai when she passes by but Nigel is able to intercept and block each time, but he's clearly putting in effort to keep up with her rather insane speed and agility.

"She's fast." Nigel commented, as he tried to keep track of her but she's very quick footed. "Probably the fastest I've ever faced yet..."

Bitsy now leaps overhead and slashed her kunai, which momentarily glowed blue brightly. Just as she slashed her weapon, some kind of blue line extended out of the kunai and followed the direction of its slash. Nigel widened his eyes and moved out of the way in time before it hit him. The line easily pierced straight through the concrete and left a rather clean and well made carve across the concrete. But Nigel noticed the ground looked a little wet where the line hit it.

_"Water Dust." _Nigel thought, as he ducked under another slash of Water Dust that easily cuts a nearby lamp post in half that caused the top to fall over and smashed into the ground, which also shattered the light bulb.

She used the water dust to create a high pressured jet of water, from the tip of her dust coated kunai, that could easily cut through solid concrete and even steel itself; an attack like that could really do some serious damage if he isn't careful.

Nigel needs to disarm her because she might make things more difficult.

Bitsy repeats her strategy by zipping past him and occasionally doing feints to try and catch Nigel off guard but he seems to even see through some of her feints and keeps blocking her water dust enhanced slashes.

She darts forward but suddenly slides between his legs and ends up behind him. Before Nigel can turn around or do anything, she jumps on his back and wraps her legs and thighs around his neck, trying to strangle him and she's doing a good job at it, since she's very strong, as a spider faunus.

_"For quite a small girl... she sure is strong with those legs and thighs…"_ Nigel added as he can feel his eyes slightly bulge out of his skull and and face slowly turning blue.

As she continued to strangle him, Bisty silently thanks Serpent in teaching her how to use those legs of hers. As a Jumping Spider Faunus, her legs are naturally very powerful in helping her leap at high speeds and long distances. She remembers one of her training activities involved crushing large watermelons and even extremely hard coconuts that are bulletproof with her legs. Thankfully, those watermelons and coconuts did not go to waste, as food.

Bitsy than tries to stab Nigel again with one of her kunai but Nigel managed to block it overhead and redirected it away from him with his bladerangs. That move made her slightly lose her balance as Nigel flips into the air and intends to use his weight and the ground to crush her underneath him.

Bisty realizes what Nigel is trying to do, as she lets go of him, leaps off in time, and widens the distance.

Thankfully, just as Nigel lands on the ground, he quickly rolls back on his feet. But he than had to dodge another missile that blows the ground apart where he stood as Whip Tail keeps firing from the high ground.

Whip Tail keeps his sights on Nigel but he makes sure Nigel is out in the open and only fires when his teammates and allies are not in his line of sight or close to Nigel. He doesn't want to cause friendly fire.

_"Gotta take that bugger out first."_ Nigel thought as he sprints towards the lamp post but the hyena faunus and antelope faunus are in his way as the antelope faunus opens fire and the hyena faunus turns her bat into a shotgun and opens fire as well. Bitsy is right behind him, as she's leaping in a zig zag fashion again.

Nigel quickly opens the slots of his bladerangs and inserts Ice dust in them which causes the patterns and symbols to glow blue. He throws one behind him that manages to hit Bitsy's leg which causes a block of ice to form around it, causing her to stumble and roll on the ground.

At the same time, the moment he threw that boomerang, he threw the other one towards the other two and the thrown weapon hits the arms of the antelope and hyena faunus which froze their arms and weapons in a block of ice, each, that suddenly made them fall to the ground due to the weight of the ice.

However, before he could get to Whip Tail, Jackal and Serpent appear in front of Nigel again. He can sense their annoyance and humiliation which slightly amuses him but he remains serious.

This time, both Jackal and Serpent rushed forward and worked as a team, to try and take him down. Nigel is now struggling as he tried to keep up with two opponents that somehow appear to be well coordinated in their pattern of attacking Nigel. Just as Nigel blocked Jackal's combat knife with his right bladerang and Serpent's sai with his left, both Jackal and Serpent twirled and kicked Nigel in the midsection that sent him flying and skidding back across the ground.

Nigel flips back on his feet and barely blocked the full brunt of Serpent tacking him at full speed with trails of electricity behind him. Nigel skidded back again but Jackal is still in a deadlock with him. Nigel momentarily activated his semblance and sensed Serpent is right behind him and tries to back stab him with both of her sais.

This time, Nigel did a kangaroo kick to shove Jackal back and than back flipped behind Serpent when she tried to stab him, only for him to kangaroo kick her as well which caused her to crash into Jackal. Both gang leaders fall to the ground in a heap and groan in slight pain.

Nigel than sprinted towards Whip Tail who slightly panicked and opened fired even more missiles but Nigel easily dodged them, as they all exploded and left many craters in their wake.

Whip Tail decided to get serious, as he presses a button on his rocket launcher which made the double barrel rotate for a second and a crosshair aiming feature appears which Whip Tail uses it to get a proper aim at Nigel. Once he got a solid lock, he fires another missile but this one looks different.

Nigel saw it coming and moved in a different direction.. than the missile followed him in that direction.

_"A home seeker!" _Nigel said in surprise and dodged it again but it easily made a U-turn and kept following him.

Whip Tail fired several more heat seekers and now things have gotten more difficult.

Nigel dodged one heat seeker that exploded on the ground from a higher angle. He dodged another from behind him by back flipping in midair. He even caught one by hooking his bladerang on it and redirecting to another that caused both to collide and explode.

He redirected the last missile at Whip Tail who responded by shooting another missile.. and both missiles collide and explode again which created a huge smoke cloud.

Whip Tail couldn't see and was about to turn on the heat vision... but he didn't have time as he sees Nigel coming right at him. The kangaroo faunus made an astounding leap and reached the Whip Tail in time… grabbing him by the head and throwing him with all his might to the ground.

Whip Tail went headfirst into the ground in a thundering crash. As the dust cleared, his upper half of himself was underground while his legs were stiff in the air and his tail hanging limp.

"I think I hit a pipe..." The gecko faunus said, in a daze, before blacking out.

With him taking care of, he turns back to the others as the hyena faunus broke out of the ice by bashing it to the ground in one hit and the antelope broke out of his ice by turning on the chainsaw that sawed itself out of the ice. Bitsy was still stuck but she tries to break the ice on her leg with her kunai.

The hyena faunus snarled and rushed forward with her bat and swung at him but he dodged rather easily. She tried swinging downward but Nigel moved out of the way and the bat craters the ground and shakes it. That leaves her open as Nigel punches and kicks her at a rapid pace. She growls even more and counters with a headbutt to the face that actually landed it's mark. Nigel skidded back and groaned a little that actually hurt and almost gave him a headache.

But what the hyena faunus did next, much to Nigel's slight surprise, was digging her fingers into the ground and uprooting a large slab of the ground that's twice the size of a bowling ball. With no effort, she tossed it in the air and got into a batting stance.

"Batter Up!" She yelled, in a Brooklyn accent, and swings with all her might that it smashed the slab of concrete which also launched dozens of smaller pieces of it that came at Nigel, like the scatter shot of a shotgun.

Nigel tried to dodge and deflect as much as he could with his bladerangs but he could only so much, as some manage to graze and even directly hit him which did some considerate damage to his aura.

After that onslaught he survived, he heard the sound of a chainsaw as the antelope faunus came from behind and tried to cut him apart but Nigel casually side stepped out of the way. He tries to hit back but the antelope faunus blocked his metal boomerangs which caused the spinning chainsaw to grind with the metal that caused lots of sparks to go flying everywhere.. and some got in Nigel's face. He flinched which gave the antelope faunus enough time to shove him back and start shooting at him again. However, Nigel already recovered and starts twirling his bladerangs to block and deflect all the bullets.

The antelope faunus tried to hit Nigel again with his chainsaw but Nigel also saw the hyena faunus coming at him from behind. He swerved out of the way, causing the chainsaw wielder to accidentally attack the hyena faunus who responded by raising her bat to block the chainsaw. It grinded against the metal bat and sparks flying everywhere.

With both adversaries distracted, Nigel roundhoused kicked the antelope faunus, knocking him out while also doing another to the hyena faunus before she could swing her bat, knocking her out too as both fly and skid across the ground out cold.

He turns his attention to Bitsy who is still trying to break the ice stuck to her leg. Once she noticed he's looking at her again, she panics even more and tries to break the ice on her leg.. But Nigel stands there and senses her fear and distress.

With all her might, she finally jabbed the kunai through the ice and used the water dust to melt it from within. Once it weakened enough, she finally breaks the ice with a hand chop and quickly starts leaping around, even faster out of desperation. This time, she suddenly shoots a rope of web, from her palm at him but he catches it and yanks her towards him and catches her.

Though, before Bitsy could fight back.. she got a close up look at Nigel's handsome face... and she couldn't help but heavily blush and looked stunned.

However, Nigel doesn't have time for that, despite feeling slightly flattered.

"Sorry, Sheila." Nigel apologized as he gave her a swift chop to Bisty's neck and knocks her out. She falls down and hits the cold ground, as something else falls out of her jacket but Nigel didn't notice, as he turns his attention towards Jackal and Serpent who are now on their feet but look very distressed and angry.

"Wanna keep going or wanna stop where we're at?" Nigel suggests. He considers they should give up but he can sense their desperation for that lien and it tells him they want to keep fighting.

"As we've said!" Jackal shouts as he looks distressed and his hair is now all messy and disheveled. the same goes for Serpent. "We'll fight you until you give it to us or until you're dead!"

"Suit yourselves." Nigel says as he prepares to fight the crime bosses tonight. Though, that amount of fighting their followers have tired him a bit so he needs to finish this soon.

Jackal sprints forward and starts thrusting and swinging his combat knives. This time, Jackal is swinging with such ferocity and speed that Nigel can sense Jackal is VERY desperate that Nigel feels a bit concerned there.

Jackal than suddenly jabs forward and releases a lightning bolt which jolts forward and momentarily shocks Nigel as he is electrocuted for a second as if taking a powerful taser.

Madame Serpent suddenly leaps in the air and throws one of her sai at Nigel which forces him to recover in time to back off as the sai impales the ground.. and toxic gasses fill the air and the ground starts to corrode.

"Acid….." Nigel deduced as he watches the ground corrode even more.

That's definitely acid dust infused in those sai.

Serpent lands near her sai and pulls it back out and confronts Nigel again face to face as they clash their respective duel. Nigel was backed against another lamppost but he ducked in time as the sai slashed against the metal pole... and corrodes that as well which causes the lamppost to fall over and crash.

Nigel begins to worry as those sai might corrode his bladerangs if they keep this up but he assures the special metal his weapons are made of are resistant to corrosion.

While they fight, Nigel can also sense sheer desperation in the two, like their lives depended on it and they feel so desperate for that money like as if they need it for reasons that doesn't seem fitting for a greedy and selfish criminal that Nigel has faced many times before. Nigel is now starting to think these two might not be the typical gang leaders he first thought they were...

Both locked their blades and struggle in strength but Madame Serpent hissed at him and opens her mouth wide.. As Nigel notices the tips of her snake fang oozes a milky liquid….

"Crikey!" Nigel shouted as he realizes she's gonna try to bite him and inject her venom in him.

She lunges her head forward and tries to bite him but he leans his head to the left, than right, than far back and barely dodges the third bite… while upside down, he sees Jackal sprinting towards them at an even faster pace due to being covered in lightning.

Nigel has an idea as he uses his position and tosses Serpent at Jackal who couldn't change course as the snake faunus slams into the jackal faunus… causing both to tumble to the ground.

As both try to get up.. time slows down as they see a pair of feet flying to their faces.

Nigel unleashes an even more powerful kangaroo kick to their faces with each foot.

The impact was so powerful it sent both of them flying back but also causing their lockets to break off their chains and fall to the ground.

Both Jackal and Serpent slide across the ground and lay still.. as their aura flickers and break…

Nigel was panting in exhaustion as his aura is nearly gone.. but he won anyways.

"Well… seems you chose to keep going." Nigel said but stares at the two unconscious crime lords…. but, he still ain't done, as he now wonders what made them so desperate.. Than he remembers what Jackal said earlier.

"_Oh I understand that." Said Jackal as he nods his head as if he's understanding but Nigel can sense frustration suddenly swelling up inside him, despite grinning and looking sinister. "All that you've worked for to suddenly be taken away which meant it was all for nothing in the end." He said. "In a dog eat dog world like this and much of Remnant, one has their own needs for survival so it's inevitable we have to resort to violence, stealing, and cheating._

Nigel than noticed the two lockets that fell off of them, just as he knocked them out, nearby. He goes over to them, picks them up, and opens the crimson locket that shows a picture of Madam Serpent and the silver locket shows a picture of Jackal… but he notices each locket also has something stuck in them which he pulls each out… two folded pieces of paper.

He unfolds the two pieces of paper and sees what they are.

From Jackal's locket shows a picture of Madam Serpent in her teens, as she looks to be happy and appears to be laughing, while wearing a crimson sun dress and has a flower in her hair.

From Serpent's locket is Jackal in his teens but he lacks the golden tooth, his hair is messy, wearing casual gray clothing, and smiling sheepishly, while looking a little embarrassed and having his right hand behind the back of his head.

For some reason, Teen Jackal has his left arm stretched out to his left and Serpent in the other photo has her right arm stretched out to her right as well.

He notices the edges of the two photos are torn.

He slowly puts them close together as one photograph... and now it shows a complete photo of the two holding hands

Throughout much of his journeys, across this unforgiving desert of this continent, he's met all kinds thugs, thieves, serial killers, or criminals and sensed their selfish and greedy emotions laced with the intent to kill… but these two and their followers are different.

"I understand now…" Nigel spoke to Jackal and Serpent, despite both them being out cold. "You were forced to be like this, out here, to fit in, and you even loath doing it… and yet you hang on to something you cherish." He finished as he looks at the photo of the two again…. they look so happy in innocent in that photo, holding hands and smiling together.

He looks at the knocked out followers.

He notices, laying next to Bitsy, who was out cold, is a small teddy bear wearing a bow tie that says "To Our Precious Little Angel" on it. It must've fell out of her jacket when he knocked her out.

He notices a photo that fell out of the Whip Tail's pocket, due to being upside down and being half buried in the ground. It showed a picture of him with a another gecko faunus and both of them were fist bumping and hanging onto each other shoulders like bros and has something written on it that says "Big Brother Best Friend Forever".

The hyena faunus has a photo of a female, red headed jaguar faunus.. it has a blue and pink kiss mark laced over it and "My Sweet Pudding" written on it.

The antelope faunus has a photo of him and a younger antelope faunus girl laughing on his shoulders that says "My Little Sunshine."

Many others either have something they treasure or a photo of someone they know, like its the only things that gives them the hope and desire to survive and live.

Nigel looks around and hears the wailing wind again… and sighs. What a night this has been for him and he realizes there are some faunus out here that are not completely selfish and malicious.

He looks at the photo of Jackal and Serpent again…. and scrunches his face in slight anger.

He goes over to the statue and cuts the tip of the sword with a thrown bladerang as the briefcase fell and he catches it.

* * *

**10 minutes later**

He managed to carry Jackal, Serpent, and their followers into an alley, one at a time.. It took awhile but he got them all here.. It took extra effort pulling Whip Tail out of the ground that ended with a comical "POP" but he also took extra effort in gently carrying Bitsy in his arms.. and he couldn't help but notice she's smiling like she's having a good dream. He also gathered their belongings and carefully placed them back in their pockets.

He gently placed them down close together but he put Jackal and Serpent close together in sitting positions against the wall that Serpent is laying her head on Jackal's shoulder.

He opens the briefcase… and pulls out a fifth of the total of the lien. He also writes a note on the lien that says "Use it wisely." and places the lien and note between Jackal and Serpent and places Jackal's hand on the lien while putting Serpent's hand on top of Jackal's.

Nigel uses his semblance and senses their emotions as Jackal and Serpent appear to be slightly smiling at the corner of their mouths… they will wake up soon.

Nigel walks out of the alley and heads back to his camel.

At the gates, Nigel finally reached his camel that's already finished with it's food and water. It also finished it's short nap, feeling fully energized and ready to travel the deserts again.

He straps the briefcase of lien tightly on the saddle and mounts the camel as he exits Bardus.

Nigel looks back at the city… maybe this city ain't entirely hopeless and empty…. there's still some that still cling to love and memories…..

But since some time was wasted, he needs to get going as he lightly kicks his camel as it starts running off into the desert in a different direction.

However… he's being watched as a figure is standing on the wall.

It's that plague doctor masked White Fang member who has his hands behind his back, watching Nigel run off into the distance.

"Hmmm…."

* * *

**2 days later. Kuo Kuana. **

It was the middle of an afternoon in Kuo Kuana, the residence of a large population of faunus near the ocean coasts. Near the mountains is the Belladonna's mansion where Ghira Belladonna, former leader of the White Fang, and his wife, Kali Belladonna live… and it's where Blake Belladonna used to live until she ran off to join the White Fang….

Many children were playing out in the sun while many young adults and teens were busy with their own schedules and jobs, a good time to sell produce and goods. The coastlines were calm and peaceful for many faunus to play and sunbathe in while playing all kinds of games and sports, along with children making sandcastles and finding colorful seashells.

Out on the horizon was a lone figure entering the city and it was Nigel Arvo himself. His rented camel was sent back to its owner as he traveled the rest of the way by foot, once he managed to reach the edge of the desert that borders the dry grasslands, and now enters Kuo Kanna.

He walks through the streets but feels a little more happy as he can sense the joy and happiness coming from the children and adults as they are spending their daily lives out there…. Though, he can't help but feel sadness coming from the Belladonna's residence and sees two purple auras in the building….

Nigel continues forward until he reaches a post office and places a large letter full of the 400,000 lien in it as goes off to it's destination with the address it had on it.

With that all done… Nigel pulls out his scroll that shows Beacon Academy and its logo… he stares at it and considers that should be a good place to become a huntsman so he can get money much easier. All these recent activities of getting money are a tad risky so he decides it would be a good idea to attend an academy to become a huntsman, which will get him payed for completing missions and other tasks.

Later, Nigel is seen boarding a ship with the other passengers also heading to Vale.

As the ship sets off, Nigel takes out a photo of what appears to some family, out in the middle of a dry grassland, with scattered trees, and with a house in the background. Though, there also appears to be a windmill and barn not too far away from the house.

In the picture is a middle aged but well physically fit and handsome man; with brown hair and wearing casual clothing that consist of a shirt and shorts but he appears to be wearing some kind of necklace that shows some kind of ornament that looks old and ancient. He's happily smiling, sitting in a wheelchair and missing his right leg where his right pant leg is tied up in a knot. Lacking faunus traits, he appears to be a human.

Standing next to him is a middle aged woman that's a kangaroo faunus, with kangaroo ears, resting her left hand on the man's shoulder. While she's around his age, if not slightly younger, she appears to be well physically fit, as she appears to have a rather curvy but, also, a decently well toned and muscular figure that still makes her look rather feminine. She wears red plaid shirt that contains her well endowed chest but the bottom of said shirt is also tied which leaves his midriff exposed and showing off a pair of rock hard lady abs. She also wears a pair of daisy dukes, a pair of combat boots, and her own barmah hat which has holes for her kangaroo ears to slip through.

Standing close to the woman is a young girl, around the age of 10, wearing a green sundress, and, has brown hair, like the woman. She also sports a single pony tail that is braided and she is smiling and laughing, apparently, she's very happy.

Standing with them is Nigel, who's smiling, but he appears to be a few years younger and lacks his tattoos and his hat. He also appears to be wearing casual clothing that consists a simple gray t-shirt and brown light brown shorts.

Overall, standing in the photo is one happy family.

"Seems that you're traveling alone?" Said a voice.

Nigel turns his head and sees the captain of the ship who has a white beard and his captain hat on his head.

"Well, that I am." Nigel smirks but turns back to the photo. "But that doesn't mean you're completely alone when ya cherish those you love in your heart."

The captain chuckled. Liking this young man's optimism, despite seeing that he looks rough. "Well. Just saying in case you get bored… lots of people traveling alone easily get bored on board."

"Not me, mate." Nigel responded. "I've been out in the deserts for months alone and never felt bored in the slightest. In fact, I even bet I could watch paint dry all day and still not feel an ounce of boredom eating at me."

The captain laughed again.

"Well.. if you need anything, just let me know and I'll give ya a chat." Said the captain as he walks away."

"Sure thing, mate." Nigel smirked as he looks out towards his homeland... getting smaller and smaller as he sailed to Vale and watches the afternoon sunshine in the sky and glances at the photo again... his whole family. Secretly, that envelope with the 400,000 lien was sent to his family and he hopes they get it safely. He worked so hard getting it and it would be all for nothing if it doesn't.

"_I promise you all… I will come back from Beacon and bring back enough for you so we can all live in happiness..." _

Everything fades to black as the image of the four young men return with Adam Taurus' image still in full view while the other three are still silhouettes.

The image ripples again as second silhouette revealed to be Nigel himself. He's giving off a rather stoic expression but holds the tip of his hat he has on his head and holds his bladerang in other hand.

The other two silhouettes remain the same until the image will ripple again.

**Nigel Arvo**

* * *

**And that's the second trailer for the second member of team ANGR.**

**And boy I am surprised myself how long this is for a trailer… almost more like an actual episode. To be fair, my version of Adam's trailer was based on the Black trailer and my other three trailers are original so they might be longer than Adam's…, could've extended Adam's trailer but oh well.**

**As for Jackal and Serpent… I originally wanted them to be opponents in contrast to Tiny to showcase Nigel being capable of fighting with and without his weapons… but than I wanted to add a little background to them and their followers… and honestly, I felt sadness writing those parts. **

**Also, I want to expand the lore and locations of Remnant (Menagerie, in this case) a bit to make things more interesting. While it's true about how the canon RWBY states about Menagerie being uninhabitable, My AU has it MOSTLY uninhabitable, as there are still some settlements out there in the deserts and other dry lands that are willing to thrive and not live in the more crowded areas on the shores where bigger populations live. **

**Oh, also, I'm planning of adding World of Remnant in some chapters for bonus content.**


	3. The Orange Elephant

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

**I've also updated my last chapter a bit, with a little better grammar, extended the fight parts, and even added a little more detail with some characters. Check it out again if you want to**

**OCs are mine**

**Team ANGR**

**Trailer: The Orange Elephant**

* * *

_**Hit me as hard as you can. Try and knock me down. I'm gonna keep standing on my feet and endure it all, until you're the one that's getting knocked down. The only thing I struggle to endure… is having nobody with me…. but I will not let that knock me over either…. I must keep going until I find somebody that can also fight with me.**_

* * *

**Western Vacuo; The Sanus Jungles **

Vacuo; one of the four kingdoms of Remnant. Part of the continent, Sanus, that's also shared with the kingdom of Vale.

Home to Shade Academy, one of the four major academies, next to Beacon Academy of Vale, Atlas Academy of Atlas, and Haven Academy of Mistral.

Every kingdom has Its history and Vacuo's was a rather harsh and tough one, before and during the Great War.

Much of Vacuo used to have a vast oasis, in the center of the desert, with natural barriers, huge amounts of Dust deposits, and lush jungles that made it a paradise, which attracted many new settlers to flock over and settle down in.

Sadly, much of oasis was reduced to a wasteland, after the abuse and overhaul on dust mining and bigger settlements being made in it, overtime. Grimm activity also increased which turned Vacuo from a paradise to a death trap where only the toughest can survive.

Not to mention Mistral and Mantle, before the latter becoming what is now Atlas, used to have their settlements in Vacuo territory and even pressured Vacuo to join their side when they were at war with Vale… but Vacuo wasn't falling for them, as they knew they wouldn't be able to protect themselves, if Vale fell, and also because Mantle and Mistral would also try to steal their dust mines. So Vacuo's leader ordered Vacuo to stand their ground and joined forces with Vale, which eventually brought the war to its peak. Sometimes, even in the middle of a battle, all sides in the war had to ceasefire when the Grimm butted in, than going back to battle once the Grimm were taken care of.

As the war raged on, it finally ended, near Vacuo's capital, when the King of Vale stepped in and stopped the war, once and for all.

But even than…. It costed so many lives, as the deserts were soaked in red, and the Grimm kept coming, as they were attracted to the conflict like moths to a flame.

But with every war that ends, comes peace.

Thanks to the peace treaty, made between the four kingdoms, on the island of Vytal, brought Remnant together and brought peace with them.

With the world at peace, Vacuo and the other kingdoms focused on more important tasks; such as protecting their settlements from the Grimm, mining more dust in proper conditions to prevent damaging the environment at a minimum, building more academies to train more students that will become the next generation of huntsman for the future, and advancing technology to benefit the rest of the world.

Along with Vale, Vacuo is a one of the two kingdoms of that has a higher tolerance and equality practice between both humans and faunus, which makes it easier to both sides for beneficial opportunities in surviving Vacuo's current climates and hazards, especially thanks to their own little memo that's basically "If you can survive here, welcome to the club.".

Even than, Remnant still suffers some current problems; The Grimm that still hide in the shadows and attack when humanity is at their most vulnerable. The current White Fang's violent approaches towards equality based on fear. The SDC's current moral gray area status and it's questionable business practices. And, lastly, all kinds of crime running rampant.

In addition, Vacuo also has its own problems to deal with.

Even after the Great War ended, the damage to Vacuo was already done; the climate drastically changed, most of the oasis, if there is any of it left, is gone, and even several species of plants and animals native to Vacuo have gone extinct, as they couldn't adapt to the dramatic changes and the oasis they relied on. Making it much harder to survive for Vacuo's citizens.

Even than, there's still parts of the kingdom that's not all scorching deserts and dry canyons.

On the western and southwestern parts of Vacuo, closer to the coasts, there are lots of lush jungles, layering those section of the kingdom, along with plenty of mountains and plateau where temperatures are slightly cooler.

The western jungles of Sanus were hardly affected by the the war so it remained relatively unscathed and untouched, making it a beautiful paradise compared to the wastelands; Teaming with a whole variety of flora and fauna that thrive here and filling in every niche provided.

Despite the richness in resources and rumors of more dust deposits in those areas, Vacuo has already learned their mistake they previously suffered from, as to what they have done to the once beautiful oasis that is now forever gone.

So, to not make history repeat itself, Vacuo created a strict law that no major settlements are allowed in Vacuo's jungles and no dust mining are allowed either. Visiting and exploring the jungles are permitted and some smaller settlements are also permitted, with populations no more than two hundred, each.

Many decades after the Great War, Vacuo's now on it's own steady pace with handling its own academies while the jungles are usually left alone.

But now.. Let's take a closer look into the Jungles of Sanus and what they hold.

* * *

**Sanus Jungles; 11:00 A.M**

The sun is shining high in the sky, above a lush and vast jungle that can be seen far and wide. Small mountains, covered in thick vegetation that are trees, are also seen peeking over the treetops.

Here, the temperatures are warm and humid, just right for plenty of rainfall that comes from the coasts, yearly, to keep the jungles wet and nourished, for plenty of plantlife to grow to their full size to support a variety of species native to the jungles.

Making up the majority of the jungle, that also dominates the other plant life are the Skyscraper Trees. These trees are some of the tallest known in all of Remnant, with average heights reaching up to 600 feet. Some have been known to grow further, up to even 900 feet.

They reach such heights to easily get enough sunlight to replenish themselves, along with plenty of rain to keep their massive roots nourished.

Living in the branches houses a whole variety of animals; such as man sized howler gibbons, dog sized four toed sloths, and other kinds of animals found in the treetops which keep them safe from the predators far below. Though, they are occasionally hunted by large, predatory flying birds such as eagles and hawks, some with wingspans up to 25 feet, that soar in the sky, looking for a meal to catch to eat or to feed their chicks.

Down below, it's different than up in the treetops.

On the forest floor, it's very damp and pretty dark, due to the massive trees towering in the sky, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun. But some bits of sunlight are still able to shine down and make the jungle look more mystical. Rivers and waterfalls are also found which have fresh water for many animals to drink and even suited for other animals suited for the aquatic lifestyle.

The forest floor is teaming with all kinds of plants that covers nearly all of it, that you can't even see the ground that easily.

Much of the floor is layered in all kinds of ferns and thick leaves, but it's also covered in a whole variety of colorful flowers, in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and especially in dazzling colors, perfect for all kinds of insects, hummingbirds, and even small bats, to feast on the rich nectar and to pollinate them.

Perched in the smaller trees and lower branches are a whole variety of tropical birds and monkeys; spider monkeys, toucans, hornbills, parrots, including a rare and dazzling species called the Rainbow Macaw, and even a few colorful birds of paradise.

On the jungle floor, a giant anteater, the size of a horse, is seen trudging through the thick foliage, looking for a termite mound or an ant hill to feast on.

Nearby, a troop of giant apes, that look like a cross between a gorilla and an orangutan, standing 9 feet at the shoulder when walking on their knuckles, were patrolling through the forest, with the alpha male, the largest of the troop, leading in front. Not far away is a large, tiger sized, spotted jaguar that's sleeping on a low hanging branch. It was snoozing, not long after finishing it's meal that it caught, posing no threat to the primates.

Not far away, there's a large watering hole with a waterfall close to it, a perfect spot for many animals come here to drink or to swim in it. Rising from the water is a large hippo, as it snorts for some fresh air and gives out a loud yawn, before diving back into the water. Nearby are a group of capybara, as big as sheep, were closer to the water's edge and feasting on some freshwater plants. A large crocodile, nearby, stalks for any potential prey in the water while looking like a floating log.

Down below the water's surface, there are a whole variety of aquatic fish, including a school of striped fish with razor sharp teeth, also known as the tiger piranha, looking for any prey that's injured, sick, or weak.

Near a patch of yellow and lilac flowers, a black and yellow bumblebee appears, as it buzzes towards one of the flowers. It lands on a yellow flower with a lilac center and it starts sucking the sweet nectar, while also covering itself in pollen to pollinate the other flowers that it will find in other parts of the jungle.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake and tremble, as if something massive is coming this way. With each loud step, the ground shook harder, as nearby puddles rippled and small plants shook from the shaking ground.

Nearby, the sound of smaller trees creaking and breaking were heard, as something massive was there but couldn't be seen in good detail due to blending well in the foliage.

The stomping increased as now the puddles were shaken so hard that some droplets were thrown in midair while the plants shook even harder. Some of the nearby animals that were much smaller also scampered to safety as to not be in the path of whatever's coming their way.

The bee was too busy drinking the nectar as a large stride of the massive creature came closer in seconds. A shadow suddenly loomed over the bee and the flowers and the bee takes notices as it and flies away just in time e.

A massive pillar-like leg slammed down, close to the flowers which shook violently but the bee was safe. It flew higher and further away and it managed to get a limited view of what the massive creature is suppose to be….

The creature is a large quadruped, with four, pillar-like legs, each with five toes, a decently long tail with a tuft of hair at the tip, and a massive body with dark gray and slightly wrinkled skin.

On the side of its large head are two medium sized, flappy ears. Hanging from it's face is a long and sturdy trunk that nearly reaches past it's knees. Protruding the side of it's mouth are two long, thick, and slightly curvy tusks that jut out like spears. A second but smaller pair of curved tusks protrude behind the larger tusks, giving the creature a total of four tusks.

It's an elephant… a really big one.

Stomping through the jungle is the Sanus Elephant.

Towering in at 35 feet at the shoulder and weighing in at 40 tons, it's the largest and heaviest land mammal of Sanus and all of Remnant.

Native to the jungles of Sanus, these elephants are rare, as they were once found throughout much of the deserts and oasis of Vacuo but the destruction of the oasis and the Great War has dwindled their numbers down significantly that they are now found only in the jungles which are under strict protection laws by Vacuo.

This Sanus Elephant that's stomping through the jungle, is a young bull that recently reached sexual maturity and left his former herd a few weeks ago, now living on his own.

Despite living in solitude, his species are very social and like to live together in herds. When young bulls leave the herd, they either find another herd of females to live with, or live with a smaller herd consisting of only younger bulls.

But that's not what the young bull has in mind for now; He's searching for something to eat and also staying on high alert for any nearby predators that may try to attack him, regardless of his superior size and weight.

Despite traveling on his own, the young bull is not completely alone here; perched on his back are a few random tropical birds and a troop of monkeys, that are squawking and chattering, as they are temporarily using the elephant as their own method of transportation. Some are even perched on his massive tusks, which are covered in vines.

Heck, even the bumblebee decided to hitch a ride, by landing on top of his head and waits until it finds a good area that has lots of fresh flowers to pollinate.

The young bull doesn't mind this. He accepts his temporary passengers riding on his back and tusks, which gives him a little company.

He continues his way through the jungle… but little does he know, something is stalking it in the trees. Hiding, in the thick leaves on the lower branches are a pair of slitted pupils and a low growl. It's not a Grimm… but a predator that's on the hunt.

* * *

**Meanwhile; At the same time.**

Several miles away, in another part of the jungle, it's quiet, except for the distant mating calls of the tropical birds or the howls of the howler gibbons. But a new sound is heard close by.

The sound of rushing water is heard, that it nearly deafens the calls of the wild itself, as the scenery now shows a massive cliffside, with a massive waterfall, and many tall rock spires sticking out of a large and clear pool of fresh water that's so clear you could see the bottom and even see lots of underwater plants and fish. Up above, the falling water reflects with the sunlight that it creates a beautiful rainbow.

Directly under the waterfall and on top of the highest rock spire, which is over 50 feet high, appears to be something.. or someone, sitting on it.

Upon closer inspection, the figure is a young, teenaged, male, due to his physique and appearance.

He stands at 6'3", when he stands because he's sitting crossed leg, around the age of 17 but he's bordering to 18 in just a few more months. He has a well developed and built body that's packing with muscle, but not to exaggerating degrees, which makes him look athletic.

His arms and biceps are well toned and muscular but still fairly slim and smooth. Both his legs and thighs are also muscular but less so compared to that of Nigel's. His chest is slightly broad, his midsection has a nice pair of abs that rival Sun Wukong's, and his skin complexion has a slightly darker shade than Nigel's but still gives an overall tan skin tone.

Due to being under the waterfall, his short and bright orange hair is soaked but also shines in the sunlight, thanks the sun shining overhead.

The only clothing he's wearing is a pair of orange swim trunks with bright yellow edgings and turquoise colored swirls.

He does have one accessory, that're three golden, pierced earrings, on his right ear.

The last thing he has is something on his back; it's an orange colored tattoo that's the head of a four tusked elephant and it covers the majority of his back. The elephant head tattoo shows the entire front side, looking calm, yet, very imposing.

Most of all, he he doesn't appear to have any faunus traits found on him; indicating he's a human.

The young man is meditating, as the water splashes and drips off his toned body but he stays focused, with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his knees that were spread out. The peaceful calls of nature were music to his ears and the shower of water trickling down his skin was refreshing.

Minutes after the boy stayed in his pose, he finally opens his eyes, which are bright turquoise in color.

He takes a deep breath and gets a good whiff of that moist air that was even more refreshing.

The young man picks himself up onto his feet and does some stretches and poses to loosen and relax his muscles.

Than he does 500 pushups, 500 sit ups, 500 squats and finally, 500 handstand push ups without the aid of a wall, showing excellent sense of balance. And he did all that relatively fast.

Once he was done, not even feeling winded, he easily leaped back on his feet and enjoys his surroundings. He was smiling and looked so genuinely relaxed.

"Phew!" The young man signed as he felt much better and energized. "That sure was a great workout!" He cracks his neck and a few pops were heard. "Nothing like doing some good basic routines to get you all loosened up and energized on a day like this, especially after an intense training session!"

He looks around again with his hands on his hips.

"Now… what should I do next?" He asks himself but he doesn't finish his sentence and just stands there in silence, with a blank expression, still as a statue…

"CANNONBALL! WOOOOOHOOOOO!" He shouts at the top of his lungs and makes an astounding leap off the rock spire, doing a triple somersault, and finishes it with a cannonball, just before hitting the water which created a rather large splash.

Seconds after the splash, the boy resurfaces and lets out a loud gasp for air, followed by comically smacking the left side of his head to get some water out of his right ear.

The boy starts swimming through the water with ease, as he takes a deep breath and dives downward, near the deep end, embracing the chilly but soothing feel, and enjoying the sight of the marvel that's hidden below the pool's surface.

He sees all kinds of freshwater fish, most of them vegetarians and a few of them being predators but they pose no threat to him. He keeps swimming until he swore he also saw a Sanus river dolphin, which is pink in color and as big as a beluga whale, swimming nearby. It elusively swam out of his sight, when it saw him.

A few minutes after, he resurfaces and takes another breath of fresh air but stays above.

He swims towards a nearby rock spire and perches on a low hanging ledged gap that's several inches below the water's surface, a perfect spot to take a seat while still dipping in the water. He sits there, leans back against the smooth surface of the rock spire, and enjoys the musical sounds of nature once more, while also grabbing a nearby low hanging fruit from a nearby tree; a large mango that's conveniently next to him. He grabs the fruit and starts eating it, savoring the delicious and heavenly taste of the tropical fruit.

"_This… is paradise!" _The boy thought in pure delight.

Once he finished eating most of the fruit, he tossed the rest of the fruit, the core and seeds, into the water that get quickly eaten by the nearby fish.

The boy goes back to relaxing against the rock spire, hands rested behind his head, eyes closed, and sits still for half an hour, enjoying the call of nature….he can't help but frown a little.

He opens his eyes and looks around a bit… no matter where he looks… the only one in the area that he is in… is just himself.

"_Man.. when was the last time I personally hung out with someone?" _The boy thought but he couldn't think of the last time he personally hung out with another person… except that one time… as his memory briefly flashed that showed somebody in his vision.

It was a person that resembled an elderly man… that's also very muscular, is shirtless, wearing a more old styled kind of hakama pants, and also appears to be wearing a necklace of orange oversized beads that are about as big as golf balls. He appears to have something else on the sides of his head.. that resemble elephant ears. He has his back turned, facing away, and also appears to have an orange tattoo.. that resembles the head of an elephant on his back but also has several other kinds of tattoos on his arms and shoulders.

But the most eye catching and strangest feature for this mysterious person.. is that his skin tone is bright blue.

The elderly man still had his back turned and appears to have his arms crossed over each other as he stands there, completely still.

The boy shakes his head and sighs, trying not to think about his past too much.

"_I think that's enough relaxing for now. Gotta stop my dilly dally and head on out." _The boy thought again and starts swimming to the edge of the water hole that's connected to a small river. There, on the shore, laying on a small boulder, is his small satchel which has all his stuff and necessities, despite its small size.

Once he reached the shore, he steps out and dries himself off with an orange colored towel with yellow edgings that he left on a low hanging branch. He was taking his time, as he made sure he dried off every inch of himself but that left his swim trunks which were still wet. He took them off and left to dry on another low hanging branch but made sure the sunlight shines over it as he focuses on drying the rest of himself off.

He's briefly naked but, despite being all alone, he couldn't help but mentally chuckle to himself of the mere thought of how many teen girls would do anything just to even get a mere glimpse of him right now.

Once he was done hanging his swim trunks and completely drying himself off, he puts on his standard outfit; a pair of dark gray, torn around the edges, tight fitting, hakama pants, with swirly patterns of orange and turquoise on them. The right pant leg is half gone which exposes his muscular right leg below the knee. He has a hanging, yellow waist sash, wrapped around his waist. He also wears a pair of foot wraps, made of synthetic rubber and fiber, that're wrapped around the soles of his feet, but leaves his ankles and toes exposed. He puts on a turquoise colored necklace with the beads the size of marbles which also look very polished, around his neck.

Lastly, he pulls out a pair of cylinder shaped devices from his satchel. They are turquoise in color but are also made of some kind of polished metal where sunlight reflects off of it. On one end each, there is some kind of turbine attached to it, that's silver gray, and has a polished surface too.

For decoration, the devices also have orange colored, striped patterns and flowers, snaked across them.

In a way, the devices resemble miniature jet engines.

The boy couldn't help but check out his own reflection for a second and admired how well polished his devices are that you can even use it as a mirror to shave.

Normally, he doesn't take pride in his looks but he couldn't help but admire himself today; looking pretty handsome and well clean shaven that he smirks how dashing he looks.

Though, the one thing he easily notices is a scar, on his right cheek. It's rather minor and hard to spot from a distance but this scar is one of a kind he got from part of his training…. and he made a slight mistake that made him earn that scar.

He slowly and gently traces his finger across his scar…. bringing back those memories… and one briefly flashed of a beowolf slashing its claws towards him...

He sighs and focuses back to reality.

He places the devices on the back of his forearms. Once the they touched his arms, they create the sound of grinding gears and advanced shifting, that the bottom and sides of the devices open up and disassemble, until reassembling back; wrapped around his arms, safely strapped and secured.

They are in fact a pair of weapons that Gale created which he calls them his Cyclone Gauntlets but he has also has a nickname for them as well; Tempest and Gust.

The weapons are in their inactive mode, for now, until he has to fight any opponent or Grimm that comes his way..

With that done, the teen checks his scroll and sees what time it is. It's close to noon so he should also find something to eat.

He puts his scroll back in his backpack backpack which he picks up and hangs over his right shoulder, as he looks back at the waterfall again, picturing the marvel and beauty it holds, for the proud effort mother nature had to offer.

He smiles for a second but turns around and heads off into the jungle… heading towards… he doesn't know. He just needs to keep moving forward until he comes across something… if he ever does. He's been in these jungles for several years and has been doing this since that day… that forever changed his life.

Though, there is one place in the jungles that he knows and has lived there… but he hasn't visited that place in quite a while lately and rarely visited it for the past couple of years.

As he kept walking forward, he quickly reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it; two feathers.

One's an orange feather with turquoise near the tip and the other is a blue feather with orange near the tip.

The blue one is gift that was given to him, when he was a child

He gently holds the feathers in his fingers, as he kept staring at them in silence, until putting them back into his pocket and pushes his way through the bushes and foliage, with a determined and serious expression… though, he couldn't help but feel slightly tired for some reason.

He shakes his head to wake himself up a little and keeps walking forward.

If one wants to know this young man's name; it's Gale Hathi.

However… despite his belief that he was alone... he wasn't.

He was being watched… but not by some teen girl but if Gale realized that, he would wish it was a teen girl… because something more sinister and bloodthirsty has its sights on him.

Behind a thick bush, a pair of glowing, burning red eyes, watches Gale move off. It made a strange sound that sounded like a mix of snarling and grunting. It sensed his slight negativity and was drawn to him like a moth to a flame but it was also smart enough to stay hidden, not letting Gale spot it in plain sight.

It sensed a lot of slight negativity coming from that human and decides to follow him, as it stayed low to the ground and slowly followed not far behind.

It's a Grimm… and it found a potential victim to slaughter.

* * *

**Back to the young bull; 11:15 A.M**

Back in another part of the jungle, the loud stomping is heard again, as the young bull elephant continues his search for something to eat, while carrying his unofficial, but friendly, passengers.

Some of its passengers that rode on it's back have already left; some monkeys leaped off onto random vines and trees, settling into their new homes. Most birds flew off to their new perches as well. The bumblebee is still perched on the top of his head and still waiting to find a perfect patch of flowers.

The elephant still didn't mind, as he was too focused on his hunger.

Eventually, the young bull entered a wide, open, clearing of the jungle, where there's lot of wide open space, even for a very large mammal. Though, there are some smaller trees and rock outcroppings scattered about but it's still plenty spacious.

Even than, the much taller trees still towered over everything else and sunlight still had difficulty shining through the treetops. Thankfully, it's still around noon so the sun is shining overhead and down on the wide open area.

The elephant has been following its nose lately and finally found what it's been looking for; A decently large patch of tall grass. Nearby, there's a large banana tree with a bunch of ripe bananas.

But what's more impressive are how big the bananas themselves are; each banana is nearly five times larger than your average banana. A large banana tree with that many bananas would be enough to feed an entire village.

Out here in the jungle, a diet of a Sanus elephant consists of a variety of plants; including grass, bushes, twigs, many kinds of vegetables, many kinds of fruits, and the occasional sugar cane. And the Sanus Elephant, due to its massive size, needs to consume a large amount of food just to survive.

Thanks to its effort, the young bull rewards itself by strutting towards it's lunch and begins digging in; using its trunk, it grabs a large trunkful of the tall grass, rips it by the roots, and stuffs it mouth with the delicious green it craved for. After chewing it to a pulp, it gulps down the chewed up greenery and grabs another trunkful of grass.

After finishing it's main course, the young bull now goes for some dessert as it reaches over to the banana tree and grabs a large bunch of bananas and devours them as well, even the peels included. Savoring the ripeness of the golden delicacy.

Even the birds and monkeys perched themselves on the large banana tree and chowed down on whatever bananas the elephant hasn't eaten. The elephant is aware of that and decides to leave some bananas out, showing signs of his intelligence, as his species as a whole possess.

The bumblebee that was perched on the young bull's head buzzed off to a patch of nearby flowers, that were on the ground, and begins pollinating them while drinking their nectar.

It's an all out buffet for this massive mammal and it's tiny passengers.

All seems well and peaceful… but the young bull doesn't know that he's being watched… and on the menu.

Hiding in the thick foliage, the same pair of slitted pupils from earlier, were stalking him, watching the young bull's every movement. The eyes belong to something really big but it's too well hidden to tell what kind of creature it is.

The only visible characteristics that are seen… are spots, stripes, sharp claws for ensuring and tearing apart it's prey, and large canine teeth that could easily pierce through the thickest hide and muscles.

The only sound heard was a low and primal growl as the eyes locked onto its prey.

Suddenly, in the middle of their meal, one of the monkeys stopped eating and felt it's instincts kicking in; something is wrong and it can't help be feel like they're being watched.

It looks around, and, thanks to it's sharp eyesight, sees the eyes behind the vegetation. It instantly recognized the threat and lets out a loud screech that alerts the other monkeys and even the birds; a warning call used, if a nearby predator is spotted.

With the alarm sounded, the monkeys and birds scatter to safety, as the monkeys climbed up the nearest vines, and the all the birds flew to the higher branches of the trees.

But the bumblebee didn't budge and continued pollinating the flowers and feasting on the nectar.

The sudden scattering alerted the young bull's attention as he stopped eating and let out a slightly startled sound, as he backs away from the banana tree and stomps towards the center of the area;

He's definitely aware what this means when small animals scatter and move to safety at such a quick pace.

It means there's a predator nearby.. and it's on the hunt.

Normally, the Sanus Elephant have no natural predators, at least when fully grown, healthy, and living with it's herd.

Any of the elephants that are young, old, sick, weak, injured or even living alone, are fair game to an apex predator.. If they can take it down.

Despite that he just reached adulthood, the young bull is still pretty young, as he's currently measured around 24 feet at the shoulder and only weighing in about 32 tons. A bit smaller than most older bulls.

The massive mammal stays alert to his surroundings, as he flaps his ears and flexes his trunk in slight panic but remains steady on his feet. He starts letting out loud, rumbling, growls, as he continues looking around and trying to see where the predator is at.

The Sanus Elephant may appear to be at a disadvantage… but he does have one trick up his sleeve.

The elephant's body momentarily shined for a second, as if an orange colored shield of light covered him entirely…. he just activated its own soul and using it as a force field to protect his body.

He's using Aura.

Humans and faunus are not the only living things that can use Aura on Remnant.

Yes, even when it was originally thought that only the humans and the faunus could use and manipulate Aura, it turns out, for quite a long time, that some species of animals can use it too.

Unlike the Grimm, which are soulless monsters of destruction and bloodshed, everything that is alive, has a soul, thus, has an Aura to their extents.

Though, while it's true every living thing has a soul, even the plants, there are only a limited amount of lifeforms on Remnant that have the capacity and potential to use Aura to their will.

One must remember; Aura takes skill and knowledge to use it like a tool and even a weapon. Since sentient beings have the capacity and potential on the greatest scale, thanks to their sentience and being the smartest lifeforms on the planet, they can easily unlock aura and use it in many ways, which leads to their semblance.

For animals, it's more limited and harder to use Aura in more complicated and advanced forms, due to most having less levels of sapience, than most sentient beings do.

However, that doesn't mean it's impossible for some of the smarter and more adaptable kinds of fauna can find ways to use aura to their own benefits

There have been records of animals using Aura; that includes most apes, especially chimpanzees, most cetaceans, especially dolphins, elephants, pigs, rats, crows, ravens, and even octopuses and squids. Though, it's not unheard of that dogs, cats, and other pets can use aura too, with the right amount of training from their owners.

Most use Aura to help them be more aware of their surroundings a little better, enhance their senses, increase their physical stats, and even help them protect themselves from most predators to an extent. Additionally, in the whales case, they can even use Aura to enhance their echolocation even further. Some bats can do this too.

In the Sanus Elephant's case; they use their aura to enhance their physical status a bit, but they mostly use it in another, unique, way; they focus their aura into their feet to feel their surroundings and to also detect nearby predators, based by the vibrations through the ground. Their desert cousins also used this to find water when the seasons were dry and water becomes scarce.

The young bull is rather a little inexperienced using his own aura and he isn't used to his vibration detecting use yet. This young bull has a lot to learn if he's gonna survive here on his own, until he finds another herd he can live with.

The young bull continues looking around, his eyes wide open and alert. He decides to use his hearing and smell, along with his vibration detection by focusing his aura into his feet… he can detect a presence behind the foliage.. but it's not alone.

He detects two more life signs as well.

The young bull turns his sights towards that location and lets out a trumpeting roar at the threat.

The predators know their potential prey has detected their presence and their ambush is moot, as of now.

The bushes and ferns rustled, as the predators revealed themselves.

Stepping into the sunlight, were three, large wild cats… and they are HUGE; at least twice the size of a polar bear.

The creatures look like a cross between a tiger, a jaguar, and a saber toothed smilodon. The big cats are dark green in color but were mostly covered in black spots that covered the majority of their bodies but also had black stripes that mostly covered their legs, hindquarters, and tail, also intertwining with the spots. Their underbellies are a lighter shade of green. They also have short but pretty rough looking manes.

The most prominent feature are a pair of massive saber teeth that are in the upper canines.. and they were merely over 12 inches long which they bore at the young bull, as they growled and even roared at their chosen prey.

However, each of the three looked slightly different.

One had a slightly thicker mane and had the largest saber teeth, while also being the most muscular and largest. He was even covered in several scars, indicating he's been in a lot of fights.

The second is a bit smaller, has smaller saber teeth, looked a tad thinner, and lacked a mane.

The third looked the most normal but is missing his left saber tooth and only had his right one.

These three are all males and being lead by the largest and strongest that's the leader.

These big cats are known as Sabre Fangs and they are the apex predators of Vacuo's jungles; having one of the strongest bite force of any carnivorous mammal, they can easily pierce through the thickest hides and can even break solid rock with their jaw strength alone. Their muscular limbs are also very powerful that can easily overpower most large animals and even strong enough cut through trees and solid stone with their claws behind their powerful limbs.

They prey on just about every animal here, including the Sanus Elephant. Though, they usually avoid the full grown adults that travel in herds. They prefer preying on the calfs or young bulls that live alone… and this young bull is on their menu.

Despite feeling threatened and even a little intimidated, especially that now he's on his own and facing a pack of the top predators of the jungle.. the young bull doesn't back down as he sizes himself up, by raising his head, curling his trunk, showing off his large tusks, and even lets out a loud and rumbling roar that could be heard for miles around.

The Sabre Fangs aren't intimidated. Even if they were, they weren't showing it, as they eye their chosen prey that could last them for weeks.

On que, the predatory cats suddenly had something bright and yellow shine over their bodies… as if have their own force fields protecting them.

Seems these predatory cats can use Aura too.

Truth to be told, it's not impossible for predators to also learn Aura, despite that more intelligent animals have higher chances of wielding it.

With that said, the young bull and the sabre fangs glare at each other… waiting for one to make its move… even one slight error can lead to a fatal injury.. or even death.

However… caught in the middle of this tense showdown… is that bumblebee… who is minding its own business and still pollinating…not giving a damn.

After several more seconds of silence, the young bull decides to make the first move and charges forward, shaking the earth with his mighty steps, leaving craters as big as his own footprints, letting out another roar against the saber toothed cats that roared back.

* * *

**Back with Gale. 11:30 A.M**

We now see Gale continuing his own path through the jungle, munching on a bunch of fruits he gathered, including some bananas, mangos, and even a large watermelon Though, he couldn't help but momentarily stop in his tracks when heard the rumbling roar of a Sanus Elephant… which is the young bull fighting the Sabre Fangs.

"Huh.. the war cry of a Sanus Elephant." Gale said out loud, as he turned his head to the direction he heard it from. "Based on the pitch and volume it's making out... sounds like it's either butting heads with another bull or it's in a tango with a predator; likely a pack of Sabre Fangs."

He looks towards that direction a bit longer but eventually ignores it and keeps heading on his own path. Nothing personal between predator and prey; as survival of the fittest and the circle of life are the natural laws of nature itself. Gale deeply respects nature and lets it take its course.

Even after walking for a while and devoured every fruit he found, Gale still has a lot on his mind, lately. A ton of thoughts are racing through his head and, now, he's trying to understand why on an average and run of the mill day like this must so many questions be brought up now, especially after he's been through them already before.

Could it just be a coincidence? Or is it that he's been penting up all of this for so long that now it's starting to break the mental gates and flooding out?

Or could it be that he's feeling… tired and sluggish?

Either way... might as well just rethink about some of the past issues so he can empty his head a little better and focus on where he's going.

Maybe remembering some of those memories could also help him find something that he's missing out on.

For starters, Gale Hathi is more than just some human teenager with a pair of Cyclone Gauntlets that he carries around on his arms; He's far more than that.

To start off, as far as he can remember, Gale used to be raised in a temple, located somewhere in these jungles, up on a mountain, and was trained at such a young age to become a skilled and capable fighter; Raised by an elderly man who was his mentor whom trained him in the arts of fighting, aura use, semblance, and even weaponry.

Days, weeks, months, even years, Gale trained very hard to reach the physique and condition to where he is now and feels a pretty proud about it. But his mentor made sure he got plenty of rest and free time to balance out his training, to have some free fun time and to learn other things besides physical improvement.

Though… that didn't go the way he wished it to be in the end.

His life forever changed, that morning, and he could still remember it like it was yesterday.

Every time he thinks of that morning, all Gale can think of is the mountain that towers over all the trees of the jungle, where the temple he lived in, the morning sun rising over the horizon and, up on the highest point… is somebody sitting in a meditating pose.

The teen shakes his head again and keeps moving forward.

The second thing he has in mind is where he's been and going for these past several years.

For the past several years, Gale's been in these jungles and much of Vacuo itself; he's traveled as far north where he met the dry savannas and grasslands, as far south where he met the cooler mountains and plateaus where there was even snow and ice that covered them, as far east where he met the tropical coastlines and peninsulas where he saw the vast horizon of the oceans, and as far west where he met the hot deserts and sand dunes. For once, he even decided to travel further west… and he even saw Shade Academy itself. He even saw all kinds of humans and faunus living in the city that was near the academy…. but he avoided making direct eye contact with them or even saying hello to them...

So many wonders he has seen on this part of the kingdom and he wonders what else is out there that Remnant has to offer.

Sadly, no matter what, before even thinking about leaving Vacuo, he always returned to these jungles, because he believes this is where he belongs. He feels like he can't truly leave here because of that day that makes him feel like he ain't worthy going anywhere else. But why exactly? Either he doesn't really know and struggles with that or there is a reason but he doesn't want to confront it.

The third thing that comes to mind is that he knows how to fight well on his own, against the Grimm, thanks to his intense training that he undergone, since he was a child.

All those years of training were from his mentor. Strict and precise, but gentle and patient, as to not overwhelm and over exhaust Gale, both physically and mentally. His mentor may have been his teacher, but even he knows how to hold back, keeping Gale stable and getting the right amount of training and rest to balance it all out.

Originally, when Gale was a young boy, his mentor promised him he would train him to the fullest, until he reached the age of 17, where his training would be complete and he could make the decisions what he wants to be, including going to an academy to becomes a huntsman, that is, if he wants to be one by choice.

Sadly, by the time Gale reached the age of 13… he had to undergo the rest of his training by himself. Despite being able to adapt and improve himself on his self taught based training, It just doesn't feel the same to him, not without his mentor by his side.

Eventually, Gale got used to being on his own, already being more than capable of taking care of himself.

In these last few months, it seems his way of living alone is starting to get to him but that's not his concern today and he must focus on the current situation right now.

The fourth and last thing that comes to his mind… what's his purpose and future?

Gale kept questioning himself what he wanted to be; perhaps maybe a huntsman, as he remembers hearing the awesome tales and stories about how huntsmen and huntresses fight for justice and protect the innocent from the creatures of Grimm.

That made Gale actually feel like wanting to become a huntsman, as he has the capabilities and even being at the right age of attending an academy…. but why does he feel like not wanting to go and just stay here?

It's almost like as if he's holding himself back from reaching that goal he deeply wants.

"_Maybe that's enough thinking for now…"_ Gale thought but still felt a bit down. Those memories being so fun and warming that they made him happy.. and now it isn't the same anymore since that day….

While Gale was deep in thought, he's unaware that he's still being followed by the mysterious Grimm, as it stays far away to not be detected by him, biding its time until it's right to strike.

Before Gale could think even more of the current situation … Gale notices that the trees are getting smaller and more spread out, showing Gale is reaching an opening

Gale steps out of the thickets of the jungle and into the open where lots of sunlight shines down on him.

Thanks to having no trees being in his way, the young teen can now see a wide and open valley that shows the mountains and trees. He can see the white clouds drifting in the sky, as the sun shines high above. He can hear the howls and caws of many kinds of animals, echoing through the valley. He can even feel the soothing and graceful touch of the wind blowing in his face.

He inhales his nostrils, as he smell the refreshing and moist scent of the jungle. It's just pure beauty and spectacle that Gale can never get tired of.

"_Yeah.. I can never get tired of this place…" _Gale thought as he grinned a little. _"This whole jungle feels like home to me. It's like I'm in my natural habitat." _

Even if he considers this jungle his home… Gale still wonders what else is outside of Vacuo and beyond.

As he kept staring, he notices something that's very far away but he can easily see it, thanks to being on a higher point of the valley.

Further out, he sees many less trees and sees man made structures that are completely made of stone.

"_Hmm… haven't been in this part of the jungle before… might as well just see what that is over there."_

Gale looks down and notices how steep the slope is. Not that he can't get around places, thanks to being very acrobatic and has done this many times before, both as training and for fun, even when he was a kid.

Gale shrugs his shoulders and he leaps off the ledge; skidding down the slope, managing to keep his balance.

The Grimm that's not far behind continues to follow Gale, as it decides to go on another route by staying in the foliage. It watches Gale heading towards the the bottom of the valley and towards the mysterious.

* * *

**Later. 12:00 P.M**

Gale walked for quite a while to reach the place that appears to resemble an ancient civilization.

Emphasis on ancient cause it looks like it's been around for thousands, if not tens of thousands of years, and hasn't been touched or occupied by any living residents for such a long time.

Much of the town sized and ancient city has seen better days, as much of the stone made buildings are slowly crumbling away and most pillars are either knocked over or reduced to rubble. Nature is also slowly taking over, as many trees and vines are swallowing up the buildings, like they are starting to own the place and telling civilization who's boss.

But even than, the city still looks pretty ancient and artistic, showing all kinds of art carved into the stone that shows all kinds of animals and beings, possibly worshipped as gods in ancient times. This place could even be a great tourist site… that is, it deserved better to be left alone as the jungles are mostly protected by law and to be left in peace.

Gale's now seen walking through the city and looked around, admiring and respecting the architecture, his hands in his pockets and whistling a tune, while he's at it.

Though, Gale had to rub his eyes yet again and even yawned like he was getting a bit drowsy.

"Why do I feel really tired all of a sudden? I felt pretty fine and energized right after doing my warmups earlier." He asked himself as he yawned again.

Gale wondered about why he's feeling drowsy lately. He tried to think of something logical but a small part of him deep down something's not right but he keeps going.

"Hmm… better stay focused… something doesn't feel right about this place." Gale said as he furrowed his brow, feeling a little unease about this place. It's been deeply silent here that he can barely even hear the howls and squawks from the animals which are pretty far away.

Seeing this place feels like it's been longed abandoned.. almost like a ghost town.

As Gale walked further into the ancient city, the mysterious Grimm was slowly stalking him but still staying far away and out of sight.

When Gale nearly reached a section city and came close to the largest building that looked like a sacrificial temple… he stopped in his tracks, as he heard a sound that sounded swift. He jolted and faced the direction, getting into a defensive stance… he saw nothing.

But, that didn't put Gale off his guard, as he knows something's not right…

From a partially crumbled window of a building… a pair of red eyes peer out and stare at Gale, but these aren't the same eyes that were following Gale earlier. Nearby, another pair of eyes also appear and peer out towards Gale.

Gale stood still and darts his eyes around slowly… than he heard a few rocks falling from a building and smashing into the ground as their impacts echoed across the dead city….

Gale stared at the rocks and looked up where they came from but saw nothing. Out of the corner of his eyes, he swore he saw something black, peering out of the corner of another building but it isn't there anymore, once he turned around and got a clear view…. he narrowed his eyes.

"I have a really bad feeling about this…" Gale said out loud as he can't help but feel like he's being watched.. which he is in fact. "And that feeling is telling me I'm gonna be in quite a sticky situation… so sticky that it makes glue look like water in comparison."

More burning red eyes peered out of the many buildings and corners but remained out of Gale's line of sight. They are all eager to show themselves and lay their assault on Gale since they can sense his emotions… they slightly sense a bit of negativity in him.

But they stay hidden and wait until the time is right.

Gale doesn't even bother trying to guess what could be watching him…

"Grimm… probably a ton of them. Hiding out here… and they likely want to rip me to shreds…."

As on cue, Gale heard the sound of something running towards him from behind. It leaped out towards Gale, letting out a loud and wailing howl, as it tried to slam it's hardened fists on his head.

Gale could've easily countered that with either a punch or kick but decided to roll out of the way, as the attacker slammed it's fists to the ground, creating a decently large crater and the ground shook a little.

Just as Gale finished rolling away, the attacker leaped towards him again, howling at the top of it's lungs and tries to punch him in the face.

This time, Gale countered by catching the punch in his palm which stopped the attacker in its tracks. Than he grabbed the attacker's arm and spun a complete 360 several times which added enough momentum to toss it towards a nearby wall of one of the ruined buildings. It smashed straight through the old structure and left a large gaping hole in it which scattered bits of dust and pieces of stone.

Gale stood in place and watched the hole in silence... until it leaped back out of the hole and tried to bite his face off by opening its mouth wide open.

Gale raised in eyebrow in slight surprise as that move he just performed can easily kill a Beowolf but this Grimm shook it off like nothing and seems ready for more.

Gale leaps to the side and is now a bit closer to the large temple but he still keeps his eye on the Grimm.

This time, the Grimm started to just howl and screech while slapping the ground, as if it's gone insane.

What Gale sees, in front of him, is a Grimm; a bloodthirsty creature of darkness and hatred, bent on destroying humanity and the faunus off the face of Remnant. They are the scourge and enemy that humanity has been facing, ever since mankind has existed..

Being quite a bio-diverse race of monsters; they come in all different shapes and sizes. Taking the forms of many kinds of creatures, from animals to even mythical beasts, which helps them adapt and to fit in the different environments all over Remnant.

From land, to the seas, to the sky, there is no place for a Grimm to not exist in.

While they do vary in shapes and sizes, what everyone agrees on is that they all have something in common with their appearances.

The main color scheme is jet black; making them as dark as the shadows they lurk in. Much of their bodies are covered in a set of bone like platting and spikes, that grow out of their bodies which also acts like their own set of armor which they use to defend themselves, since they lack a soul, thus, lack an aura to protect themselves.

Their heads are covered in a plate of bone that resembles either their own skulls or a "mask" which are also covered in red markings that stream across their heads in all kinds of different patterns, based on the species.

Lastly, the most recognizable feature every Grimm has are their burning reddish-orange eyes that glare into the souls of any unfortunate human or faunus they come across.

Appearances aside, every Grimm has one drive that they all share together; to find any human or faunus nearest to them and eliminate them.

Nobody exactly know why the Grimm do this, but their only purpose in existence is to wipe out humanity and the faunus. Which is why huntsman academies exist to train students to become powerful and skilled warriors to battle this massive threat that dominates the majority of the world.

Another thing about the Grimm is that they are deeply attracted to negative emotions or violence and come straight to it like moths to a flame.

Here, this Grimm sensed Gale's minor negativity nearby and it's instincts to kill kicked in, it tried to kill him from behind.. and ended up being thrown into a building.

This Grimm that Gale sees resembles a chimpanzee… and it's as big as an adult man. As said before, it's body is a black as the night and covered in sets of bone armor, including having a set of bones across that look like ribs, along having a few spiked bone pads on it's elbows and knees.

Gale recognizes what type of Grimm it is; a Death Howler.

The Death Howler continued screeching and howling at the top of it's lungs for almost two minutes, while slapping and smacking its hands on the ground which left small cracks on the ground, like it was trying to intimidate him… but failing.

Gale started to look more annoyed, due to the loud screeching slightly hurting his ears and tried to cover them with his hands. He even tried backing away from it to gain some distance until his back was facing towards the temple, as he kept his eyes on the Death Howler that was still screeching.

"Okay. That's just getting really loud and annoying. What are you even trying to do? Make me go deaf?" Gale deadpanned at the Grimm, unimpressed.

The Grimm stopped howling and glared at Gale as if he took offense to that.

But than.. It started giving off a rather smug and creepy grin at him….

Gale couldn't help but frown at that… despite how serious the situation is.

"I don't like that smug grin you're giving me…. It mocks me…."

Before Gale could even try to further protest, he suddenly felt his instincts kick in as two more presences came at his right and left, jumping out from a nearby windows from either side; Two more Death Howlers

The second Death Howler came from a second story window from Gale's right, while the third Death howler came from the top of a roof of the building from his left.

Normally, Gale could take on three Grimm but he can't help but feel suspicious there are far more Grimm around here than he already can see with his eyes.

So, until his suspicions are clear, he decided to play defense.

Gale backflipped away as the two Death Howlers slammed both of their fists into the ground which, with their combined might, created a slightly bigger crater where Gale used to stand.

Just as Gale landed safely, he couldn't help but feel drowsy and a bit tired again. He put a lot of effort keeping his eyes open and even slapped himself in the face for a brief second to further wake himself up.

"_Again. Why am I getting tired at a time like this?" _Gale thought in worry and in suspicion._ "Something isn't right here… could it be the Grimm that are doing this?"_ Gale thought again as the Death Howlers are now charging at him and he glared back at them.

Not too far away, perched on top of one of the buildings, is the Grimm that's still stalking Gale but it lays low to not be spotted. It decided to watch from a distance and let it's fellow Grimm take care of him for it… if Gale still beats them, than it might finish him off if he's weakened enough….

Gale really wanted to fight back, since he could easily decimate them, but he decides to drag it out a little longer… cause he can't help but feel there are more Death Howlers nearby and they might try to get the drop on him if he focuses on these three to much… he needs to get out in the open. And feeling a little tired all of a sudden isn't helping either.

As the three Death Howlers continued throwing wild swings, bites, and occasional punches, Gale still stayed a step ahead by leaning aside to dodge and the occasional countering grapple to catch their attacks and throw them off balance.

One Death Howler tried to bite him but he thrusted his palm upwards and slammed it into the Grimm's chin, forcing its mouth shut so hard that it even broke a tooth, followed by Gale blocking the swing of another and than grappling it with his own arm and tossing it into the first Death Howler.

Suddenly, Gale was ambushed again as a fourth Death Howler charged at him from behind and leaped forward with a punch. Gale ducked and his attacker ended up punching one of the other Death Howlers in the face so hard it propelled it back dozens of meters away and skids on it's back, until it stopped roughly 30 feet away.

The Death Howler that got punched quickly got back up and ran back into the fray, despite part of it's masked is cracked a bit, it doesn't seemed irritated in the slightest.

"_Yeah… these guys are definitely tougher than mere beowolves."_ Gale thought. He's faced Death Howlers in other parts of the jungles before but nothing like these kinds… are these much older than most?

At the same time, Gale quickly did a sweep kick and tripped the Death Howler that tried to punch him and then grabs it by the leg and uses his momentum to judo throw it over his shoulder and onto the other two which caused the three to fall over and pile up on each other.

Much to his luck, a fifth Death Howler smashed through the wall of one of the buildings and was charging towards him at full speed from the side and ready to punch him.

Gale didn't had time to properly counter and had to block with his forearm from the side. The punch from the Death Howler sent Gale flying and smashed into the side of another building and heavily indented the wall with a human sized crater. Gale easily recovered and rolled out of the way as the Death Howler charged through the wall like a bull where Gale was moments before.

Gale leaped back and gained a wider distance from the Grimm that are now starting to somewhat making a good effort in putting him on the ropes but Gale's still not even winded. The Death Howler that charged through the wall broke through another one and rejoined the other Grimm.

The fifth one howled again and charged forward. This time, despite being on the defense, Gale decided to fight this one head on since the others are a bit behind.

"Alright. Show me what you got, Banana Breath." Gale taunted as he gets into his stance.

The Grimm threw a punch and Gale blocks it with his forearms but that punch was strong enough to send him skidding back about a dozen feet that his feet even dug into the ground and left a dug up trail.

The Death Howler screeches again and, this time, simply tried tackling Gale with a shoulder charge. However, Gale twisted to the side and landed his own punch which slammed right into the Death Howler's side of the head. The impact was so hard it broke its jaw and sent it skidding across the ground that upturns dirt and stone.

This time, the Grimm doesn't get back up, as the entire side of its head is heavily indented, much of it's mask broken and cracked, and it's bottom jaw is shattered.

The Grimm is dead, as it disintegrates to dust.

"_More should be pouring out now."_ Gale thought as that would likely trigger the whole tropp now...

Much to his assumption and cue, dozens of Death Howlers started pouring out of the windows, entrances, and corners of the buildings. The whole area started getting much louder as more Grimm started to surround him and attacking him

Now they are really trying to zerg rush on him, as they all try to overwhelm him in numbers. Not helping Gale's suddenly feeling tired again, as he's barely focused enough to counter or dodge their attacks.

One Death Howler suddenly appeared from above him, from an open window, and landed on his back but Gale countered by grabbing the neck that's followed with another judo throw, slamming his attacker into another Death Howler but he instantly gets attacked from his right by yet another one which forced him to block with his forearms but then throws a roundhouse kick to the face and sending it flying back.

However, more start swarming around him and he's struggling to keep up with so many of them… and Gale suddenly feels drowsy yet again.

Now this is getting tedious; not only is Gale starting to feel tired, but he's also getting attacked from nearly every angle in such a narrow area, with so many windows and openings for the Death Howlers to pop out of to catch him off guard, is starting to make him reconsider this challenge.

Clearly, he admits these Grimm got such a decent strategy which would've been overwhelming to some people... but he's far from helpless here.

"Alright. I think it's time to get serious now." Gale said out loud as he now stops playing defense.

Just as several Death Howlers tried to swarm him, Gale suddenly leaped in the air and took his position. The other Death Howlers all looked up as the sun shines above Gale but the angle makes it look like it's right behind him and his silhouette makes him look.

With a flick of both his wrists, Gale activates his Cyclone Gauntlets, Tempest and Gust; the sound of shifting gears and advanced warping sounds were heard, the gauntlets started spreading across his forearms all the way to his fingertips, making it look like he's now wearing metal gloves with miniature turbines

With his weapons activated, Gale tightens his right first and starts coming down like a human sized meteor and punches down just as he hits the ground…. right on top of a rather unfortunate Death Howler's head.

**CRASH**_**!**_

Gale's gauntlet enhanced punch heavily caved in the side of the Death Howler's head which easily shattered the mask, while creating a decently sized crater beneath it, followed by a shockwave that further tore open the ground and sending the closer Death Howlers tossed in the air and falling to the ground several feet bak. The Grimm twitched a finger for several seconds before fading to ashes.

Gale stood back up and stared at the other Death Howlers that were still standing and getting back up.

He slightly smirked and leaped out of the crater and punched another Grimm and buried its head and shoulders into the ground.

He started punching and kicking several more all over the place, while also dodging and weaving around their swings and punches.

Another Death Howler jumped in the air and tried to land both of it's fist on him from above but Gale was quicker and caught his attacker by the arms and quickly spun around at rapid speeds, hitting any other Grimm that got too close, finished with a powerful throw that sent it flying into another group of Grimm that sent them tumbling and knocked over like bowling pins.

That throw leads to the temple and now Gale has a slight opening gap to get there. He needs to get in the open so no more Death Howlers can pop out of the buildings and get the drop on him.

He sprinted through many others, punching and kicking any that got too close, while rolling under any swing or using any Grimm's head as a stepping stone to get closer to the open.

Yet another Death Howler got in his way but he landed a rather powerful clothesline in its face that sent it spinning in midair which the boy used a hurricane kick that sent it crashing into a random pillar which shattered and crumbled to pieces that crushed other unlucky Death Howlers.

Gale now sprinted to the open with Death Howlers, somewhere in the hundreds, following in pursuit. He stops in his tracks several meters away from the stairs of the temple and turns around and sees the Death Howlers, now bunched together and all howl and screech at him again.

The young man got into his stance with arms spread out while hunching down a little, like he's ready to throw down. The Death Howlers respond with their own howls and slapping the ground.

Looks like Gale's gonna be here for a while. Besides, having Grimm around here isn't a good idea as they may be a threat to nearby villages. So it's best if Gale exterminates them.

Before Gale could continue the fight… he heard a loud roar, coming from the temple. The roar was so loud that it echoed across the city and even to the jungle itself.

Gale froze in his stance for a few seconds and actually turned his attention towards the temple. Even the other Death Howlers ceased their screeches and too stared up at the temple. However, Gale noticed, in the corner of his eyes, the Death Howlers look like… they were just standing there and not doing anything.

Before he could say anything, Gale heard the sound of thundering steps from the temple. He then sees something coming out of the temple's entrance.

It's another Grimm.. but much bigger and more menacing.

It resembles a large gorilla, that easily towers over a full grown man, and has all the characteristics of the other Grimm, including the dark complexion and bone armor that covers its body. It doesn't appear to have any red markings on its bony plates but it does have one on it's spine plates, located on its back, which has red markings on it. It also has two large bony plates on its broad chest and several more bones across the sides of its abdomen that resemble ribs.

Lastly, it's blood red eyes peer down on Gale and gives out a rather low and intimidating growl, before beating its chest and giving out another loud roar which shows it's four large canines lining it's mouth.

Gale looked on for a bit until he looked back at the Death Howlers which were still bowing and kneeling before

Gale looked back to the Grimm and can't help but feel this may get a bit more difficult than he thought it would be. Not helping there are still tons of Death Howlers he has to deal with… and that feeling that's making him tired again….

"_Great… a Beringel." _Gale thought and feeling a bit annoyed, as Beringels are some of the strongest Grimm around these jungles and a pretty intelligent one to boot. _"As if a whole troop of at least a hundred Death Howlers weren't problematic enough already…"_

He looks back at the Death Howlers who still keep staring at the Beringel. This made Gale wonder…

"_They stopped attacking me, once that Beringel showed up… does that mean it's their leader or something like that?" _Gale thought but isn't sure if his theory might be true. Normally, he's aware most Grimm like to live in large numbers to overwhelm villages and cities so it's no surprise if Death Howlers and Beringels also work together.

He turns back to the Beringel which was still glaring at him… for some reason, it could've easily came down and attacked him but it appears to not even be looking willing to attack.

Gale raises an eyebrow but decides to say something to see if there is a reaction.

"I take it that you might be the one in charge around here?" Gale asked to the Beringel but he knows simply asking to a Grimm is moot to cooperate and considers his question more of a way to see if the Grimm will attack him.

The Beringel narrows its eyes down at Gale; it wants to pound him to a bloody smear on the ground and be done with it but stands there like something is holding him back.

"Judging how these Death Howlers are standing at attention before you, I have to say, you might be the alpha. And maybe if I beat you, I might make things easier to defeat the rest and I can be on my way." Gale deduced at the possibility that if he beats this Beringel that could be the alpha, things might be in his favor, especially that he's now using his Cyclone Gauntlets.

However, Gale didn't expect the Beringel to suddenly move to the side but still staying where he is.

Gale was a little confused at this but than heard something coming from the entrance… and it sounds massive.

He heard the sound of footsteps that got louder that even the temple was shaking with each step until it finally exited the building and standing next to the smaller Beringel and all in its glory.

Gale's eyes widened in shock and slight horror as he now sees something towering over the Beringel.

Another Beringel… but bigger, meaner, and more heavily armored; An Alpha Beringel.

Like most Beringels, this one heavily resembles one, except it's twice the size of your average Beringel and it is more heavily armored. In addition to having two massive bone-like plates on it's broad chest, ribs on its abdomen, and having several bone plates on its arms, legs, and shoulders, it also has two bone spikes on its shoulders and each of its knee has a bone-like knee pad with a spike on it too. It's four canines are much longer and sharper that even it's lower ones are jutting out. Though, what Gale feels worried is that he notices even its knuckles are also covered in bone… making him slightly dread to imagine getting punched by those bone-covered knuckles….

Gale audibly gulps and slightly sweat drops.

The alpha Beringel snorts which bellows out small wisps of black smoke from its openings where its nostrils should be.

Gale now feels like he wants to run away… but he's surrounded. Even trying to make a break for it might not do any good, as they will likely chase him.

However, he feels another reason why he won't run; if he runs away, than these Grimm might be left on the loose to eradicate nearby villages… and it's possible some of the those villages he befriended were destroyed by them.

Gale couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly and suddenly felt a little angry and silently glares at the Alpha Beringel.

"Okay… I stand corrected." Gale said but still sounded serious. "_You _must be the alpha, both figuratively and literally. Correct?"

Despite Gale usually trying to stay positive and happy, what Gale will not tolerate are the Grimm. His mentor taught him all about the Grimm and their only purpose in their existence. This makes Gale have another reason of wanting to a become a huntsman and help everyone he can. Sadly, the occasional grief of finding a village he befriended ends up in ruins and little to no survivors makes him feel guilty of not being there.

In fact, some villagers that did survive some Grimm attacks told him they saw a massive Beringel, unlike any other, that leads a troop of Death Howlers and another Beringel that acts as its second in command.

Gale didn't want to consider that true, at least not at first, but now that he sees an alpha Beringel, it's second in command, and a massive troop of Death Howlers, Gale deduces this might be the case now…

Both Gale and the Grimm glare at each other for several more seconds until Gale ended the silence.

"So it was _you _that slayed some of those villages of innocent people…." Gale said but sounded more angry. "... woman and children included."

The Alpha Grimm didn't answer but still glared at him.

Gale narrowed his eyes as well. Even if Gale wanted to run, he wouldn't forgive himself for letting these Grimm on the loose and destroying more innocent lives… so he's gonna fight them and slay them all, including the alpha.

He stared at the Alpha Grimm one last time but he smirks a little.

"Alright, King Kong." Gale taunted at the Grimm. "Since I may have found the one Grimm that may have masquerade some villages full of innocent people, this is where it ends for you. And I will definitely make sure of not leaving any of you alive… _not one."_ He finished rather darkly.

Gale flexes all ten of his fingers, for a brief second, and activates the turbines on his Cyclone Gauntlets. The miniature engines let out a loud humming sound, as the turbines begin to spin and pick up speed and the tron lines across the gauntlets begin glowing; thanks to the Wind Dust he has loaded in his weapons which is the fuel and ammo for his weapon of choice.

Normally, he doesn't usually use wind dust or any other kind in the jungles because dust is rather scarce in these jungles and Gale wants to use them sparingly. Not to mention the only available stores are in the capital of Vacuo and that's rather far away. Though, if there were any stores around here in the jungles, Gale would gladly buy more.

The turbines were spinning at full speed and were giving off a rather loud sound like an actual jet when it takes off. Suddenly, green tinted gusts of visible winds started forming in ring

Now Gale has activated his weapons,full capabilities and he's gonna use them on the Grimm.

However, a random Death Howler, which was bigger than most of the others, decided to screw it and just attack.

Big mistake.

Once the chimp grimm was within range, Gale tightens his right fist of his right gauntlet, Gust, which got even louder. It released a powerful jet-like propulsion that Gale used to sharply turn in place and send his right fist towards the Grimm in an uppercut fashion.

**POW!**

Gale landed a rather powerful punch at the Grimm, right in the midsection, that even caused another shockwave from the impact. What made it show off it's devastating power was that the Grimm's mouth was wide open and its eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. But what made the punch so powerful was, not just the turbine and the engine's propulsion, but also the Wind Dust that spun around his arm in a spiral fashion that was digging into the Grimm's midsection.

Gale gives one last push and sends the Death Howler flying, at breaknecking speeds, and at an upward angle. It was also rapidly spinning and spiraling like a propeller, at a counter-clockwise motion, while leaving behind a trail of spiraling wind that spun like a tornado. The unfortunate Grimm kept going and smashed straight through the top floor of a three story building, which shattered the walls and the roof, which sent the Grimm tumbling in the air and than crashes down on top of one of the buildings further away.

The Grimm that was stalking Gale turned its attention to the commotion nearby… and sees the Death Howler that isn't moving. If one would look closer, the entire midsection of the Death Howler has a large gaping hole and even the flesh around the hole looked rather twisted inwards. Not to mention one eye is hanging out of its socket.

The Death Howler instantly died from that one punch as it disintegrates to ashes.

The Alpha Beringel roars at the Beta Beringel and orders it to get down there and fight the human. The Beta Beringel obeys and leaps from the top of the temple all the way to the bottom which left a crater as big as itself beneath its feet. It beats its chest and roars at Gale which also cause all the other Death Howlers to join in, as they howl and screech.

Gale looks around but doesn't feel intimidated. He just feels eager to exterminate these Grimm so the villages can be safe and at less risk of getting destroyed.

"Believe me." Gale warned at the Grimm, as he got into his stance, with wind snaking around his arms, as he gave a rather determined glare and prepares to battle. "This will surely _blow _you all away."

Despite looking serious, Gale still feels somewhat afraid because he knows an Alpha Grimm should not be taken lightly, especially one that commands at least a hundred more Grimm… and the Grimm can sense that slight fear.

The Alpha Beringel roars again, as the Beta Beringel and Death Howlers charge at Gale.

* * *

**Back to the Young Bull; 12:15 P.M**

A loud trumpeting roar was heard that echoed across the jungle.

The open area, that was once a peaceful spot for creatures, great and small, to thrive in, has now become a battlefield.

Most trees were knocked over and flattened, several large craters were randomly scattered all over the place, large parts of the ground were carved out, and even some of the larger trees had massive claw marks and pierced holes in them.

The whole placed looked like as if an army of Huntsman and Grimm battled here.

It's not too big of a stretch that this is really a battle being waged; a battle between predator and prey.

A trumpeting roar was heard again as the young bull swings his head downwards and slams his tusks into the ground, carving and tearing a large gash across it. He intentionally tried to hit the leader of the sabre fangs but it easily leaped out of the way.

The leader of the pack, now called Leader, that just dodged the tusks, made an astounding leap and slashed the young bull's face, causing it to stumble back but it's relatively unharmed thanks to it's aura.

The smaller sabre fang, now called Runt, comes from the young bull's left and tries to bite his side but the young bull counters by swinging his trunk, hitting Runt hard enough to send him flying into a large boulder, smashing it to pieces, but the scrawny cat easily got back up and runs back into the fray.

The young bull charges towards the sabre fang that's missing one tooth, now named Half-Tooth, at full speed, but the half toothed predator easily moved out of the way, ending with the young bull piercing it's tusks through a large rock spire, going all the way through and even sticking out of the other side.

The elephant jerked it's head to the side which shattered the rock spire in half, with its tusks alone, as it crumbled to pieces and crashed to the ground.

The sabre fangs regroup and stare at the young bull turning around and roaring at them again.

This fight has already lasted over half an hour but it's already as intense and violent as it begun.

The young bull did take some damage from their slashing claws and powerful bites but his aura is holding up well but keeping this up will eventually break his aura down and the sabre fangs will really be piercing and cutting his thick hide.

As for the sabre fangs, they barely get hit, despite being quite durable in their own right, and are usually keeping their distance to not get directly hit, while using their hit and run tactics.

However... caught in the middle of it all… is that bumblebee.. still busily pollinating the flowers and drinking more nectar… still not giving a damn about what's happening around it.

Leader lets out a growl to it's two teammates; ordering them to split up, spreading out, and surrounding the young bull, forcing him to go on the defensive to focus on one of them at a time which leaves him vulnerable to the other two.

Leader roars again, gaining the young bull's attention and taunting him to come at him, leaving him open for Runt and Half Tooth to attack by the blind spots.

The young bull trumpets back but actually stays put and refuses to charge forward. He decides to go on the defensive by using his aura to detect vibrations so he knows where Runt and Half Tooth are and when they attack him first, while he focuses his eyes on Leader.

Runt decides to make his move by charging from the rear, but the young bull anticipated that and did something unexpectedly; he sits down by slamming his massive rear end into the ground. Runt was caught off guard for a split second but managed to leap out of the way in time, just before the elephant's massive butt shook the ground and left a rather large crater where he sat. Runt was lucky or he would've been reduced to a pancake.. with red syrup to go with that.

The young bull quickly stands back up.. seems attacking him from behind is not a good idea….

Half Tooth tries to go for the ankles and tendons. Attacking there would force the young bull to fall over when the supports of his legs are heavily damaged.

That's easier said than done when the young bull is constantly moving around and stomping his massive feet into the ground that leaves his foot print sized craters, with Half Tooth constantly avoiding them, some even became a few close calls.

Half Tooth quickly retreated and regrouped, with Runt, back to Leader.

Despite how much both Runt and Half Tooth wanted to attack the young bull, they couldn't risk themselves getting crushed under his weight and tremendous force added behind it, even their aura wouldn't withstand it. They can surely tank a trunk swing or maybe even a kick, but a stomp, body crush, tusk swing, or even getting sat on would easily break their aura and even kill them.

The young bull is now starting to get irritated and wants these predators to leave him alone. So irritated that he's starting to slightly losing his focus.

Out of slight anger, the young bull reached his trunk out to a nearby palm tree, grips it tightly, and easily uproots it out of the ground. With a mighty heave, he throws the tree at the Sabre Fangs but they easily move out of the way as the tree ends up crashing into the ground with a thundering thud.

The young bull lets out an even louder roar and decides to charge this time, as the three predators are now grouped together. He slightly lowers his head, with his tusks nearly touching the ground, and are aiming straight at the Sabre Fangs.

The three cats stay in place and wait for the young bull to get closer…. Than Leader makes another big leap and lands on one of the tusks and than jumps onto the young bull's back, followed by Runt and Half Tooth who move to the side and jump onto the young bull's sides.

The young bull lets out a surprised roar but then starts roaring even louder out of pain and fury, as the saber toothed cats started scratching and biting on his abdomen and even close to his neck.

With each bite and slash, the young bull's aura soaked in the damage but started to waver. If this keeps up, than the young bull has to rely on his thick hide for protection which isn't gonna do much in the long run since the Sabre Fangs teeth are designed to pierce flesh as thick as a Sanus Elephant's.

The young bull tried everything he could to get them off of him but they hung on and kept attacking to break through his aura until it runs out.

Heck, the aura has weakened so much that the sabre fangs claws and fangs even started to pierce and scratch the thick hide which started to draw little bits of blood.

The young bull ran all over the place, trying to get them off of him. He even slammed himself into another rock spire which shattered and caused it to collapse. But the predators still held on and wouldn't let go as they continued drawing blood and the aura on the verge of breaking.

Than.. the young bull did something unexpectedly… he got on his knees and rolled over on his right side… which Runt is on… and Runt couldn't escape in time as he gets crushed under the bull's massive weight that slammed into the ground with a loud crash.

Leader and Half Tooth stopped their attack as they got off the young bull and made a safe distance.

The young bull gets back on his feet.. and laying in the large crater is Runt… flattened and his aura instantly shattered from the crushing force… even blood slowly leaked out of his mouth and he wasn't moving…. Runt is dead.

Out of rage and impatience, the young bull had enough and decided to end this fight with one last ditch move that will surely kill the other sabre fangs, even if it costs him all his remaining aura.

He suddenly stood up on both of his hind legs while his front legs were in the air. He started channeling every last ounce of his aura, as it can be visibly seen being all gathered, across his body, all channeled into the bottom of his front feet.

Leader and Half Tooth didn't know what's happening until it was too late.

The young bull lets out the loudest roar possible and slams both of his front legs into the ground.

_**BOOOM!**_

Like a miniature earthquake, a very small section of the jungle felt the full force of the young bull slamming both of his front legs into the ground. A massive, orange-tinted, shockwave spreads out as it tears apart the ground which tumbles over like a tidal wave and many pieces of the ground are overturned, torn out, and tossed into the air. The impact was so powerful that even the nearby birds and monkeys scattered. The nearby animals that were deeper in the jungle, including the horse sized anteater and large primates, turned tail and ran in the opposite direction.

Leader and Half Tooth were caught in the crossfire as the tidal wave of overturned earth appeared to have consumed them and dust scattered everywhere.

The dust cloud was so massive that it nearly reached halfway up to the skyscraper trees.

When the chaos died down and the smoke cleared, most of the entire area was destroyed and a massive crater in the center. Massive cracks and overturned pieces of the earth scattered everywhere.

Standing in the center was the young bull; panting and feeling exhausted from using whatever aura he had left to create that devastating attack. He flapped his ears a bit and looked around, looking for the remaining sabre fangs.

Among the pile of upturned earth… he sees Half Tooth; laying still and battered to the point he's covered in lots of bruises and scratches, while covered in many debris which are crushing him. His aura must've shattered and got overwhelmed by the attack. He isn't moving and is also bleeding out of the mouth.

Half Tooth is also dead.

But where is Leader?

Either he too is buried under the rubble… or he's still alive.

The young bull looks around but is having a hard time detecting Leader due to using up all of his aura.

Suddenly, a presence looms nearby as something is standing on top of a rather large pile of debris, just close to the young bull's height.

It is Leader… and he's in fact alive, thanks to his aura and being able to move out of the way in time of taking the brunt of the tidal wave. Though, he barely has any aura left but it was worth it. Now he used the dust cloud and debris as cover to sneak up on the young bull.

Leader leaps at the young bull with a raised paw, claws extended.

The young bull turned his head as his left eye sees Leader….

_**SLASH!**_

The young bull lets out a very loud and agonizing roar, as he falls over and slams into the ground in a thundering crash.

His left eye was bleeding, and much of the left side of his face has nasty claw marks, while thrashing and flailing around in the overturned earth.

Leader managed to land a direct hit and take out the young bull's left eye, as the prey is now vulnerable.

With the young bull now on his side, his throat is left wide open, which is what Leader is aiming for. If he can get his saber teeth in the jugular and hangs on, it will be all over and he'll be having a huge feast.

But the young bull ain't giving up. Despite the agonizing pain and the exhaustion, he manages to find his footing and begins to slowly stand back up while glaring at Leader with his remaining right eye.

He's not gonna lay down and die in a place like this. He ain't gonna die alone. He's gonna find a new herd and a place to call home so he's gonna keep fighting to the last breath.

However, Leader still sees his chance that his prey isn't completely back on his feet and his jugular is still close enough to reach.

He sprints forward while the young bull roars and attempts to swing his tusks out but at a slightly odd angle.

It looks like it could go either way of who will land the hit….

But suddenly… Leader stops in his tracks, lets out a painful roar, and frantically rubbing his paw on his nose.

The young bull was initially confused why Leader suddenly stopped and looks to be in slight pain and irritation.

Turns out, Leader got stung by a bee… the same bee that was busy pollinating.

During the whole fiasco, by sheer dumb luck, that bee somehow survived the shockwave, due to being catapulted up in the air by the tidal wave and managed to recover by flying to safety.

But by than… the bee was very angry for having it's favorite flowers ruined so it lets it's anger out on the nearest target.. and that's Leader.

With that one sting to the nose, Leader stopped dead in his tracks and the young bull seized an easy opening.

The young bull managed to get up and swung his tusk into Leader with enough force to send him flying across the area, skidding across it, and sliding to a complete stop.

Despite losing his aura, the force behind his tusk swings are still not to be trifled with.

Leader lays there and his aura finally flickers and breaks, finally unable to withstand any more damage from that last one.

Though, despite that massive hit, Leader actually managed to survive it, as he slowly rose back to his feet.. but he's critically injured and blood seeps from his mouth.

Leader turns his eyes at the young bull who is also staring at him.

Leader lets out a low growl, as the young bull lets out a low rumbling growl in response.

Both glare at each other with serious intent that this isn't over between them.

Leader is still physically outclassed, as Runt and Half Tooth are dead, and he's critically injured. While the young bull lost his left eye and has lots of scratches and bites across his body, he's more than capable of continuing this fight which is no longer worth it for Leader.. for now.

Leader lets out one last defying roar and quickly moves back into the jungle; finding a place to lick his wounds and to find some easier prey, for the time being.

The young bull lets out a minor trumpeting roar in victory and watches his now sworn arch nemesis leave him be… but this likely won't be the last time they'll see each other personally.

After several more seconds of standing in the middle of the ruined battlefield, the young bull turns around and starts moving onwards, despite his now missing left eye and bleeding wounds.

Despite being alive, the young bull couldn't help but feel the reason he lived was because of Leader stopping in his tracks. But at the same time, the young bull wasn't sure if he would've landed his hit first or if Leader got the young bull's jugular first.

In other words… the young bull was possibly alive because he was lucky… but there's no telling how the real outcome would've gone… but that also would have meant the young bull might have died as well in one of those possible outcomes that could've happened.

Either way, the young bull still got careless and now lost his left eye. If he's gonna survive in these jungles on his own… than he's gonna have to be more careful and not be as reckless as he was before.

This was already his first time fighting on his own... and almost his last…. a hard lesson to be learned.

As the young bull entered back into the deep part of the jungle and continued onward.. while the bumblebee buzzes off back to it's hive.

* * *

**Back with Gale; 12:30 P.M**

Back at the ancient city. From a distance, the Grimm that's stalking Gale stayed far away but kept observing the action and studying it's potential victim.

The area was now a warzone, as several craters and holes in the walls of the buildings was seen all over the place.

Gale's battle with the Death Howlers and the Beta Beringel leader continues but Gale still persists and isn't gonna stop until he slays them all. The Alpha Beringel is still standing on top of the temple and watching the fight unfold.

Gale was seen sprinting on top of a building, his Cyclone Gauntlets still turned on, towards three Death Howlers, and leaped into the fray. In midair, performed an axe kick on the closest one that sent it crashing through the roof and to the bottom. Than he starts wildly swinging at the other Grimm, with powerful and fast, but precise and focused, hits of his powerful arms and fists that are enhanced by his Cyclone gauntlets.

He landed a brutal combo on a rather large Death Howler, probably an older one; each punch rattled and staggered it back until he finished it with a brutal spin kick that shattered it's entire jaw, sending it flying sideways, and crashing into yet another building which left a Grimm sized crater and it crumbled to dust, before it could even hit the ground, midfall. He turned his attention on the third one and caught it's punch. He grabbed its arm, with a firm grip, and performed a harsh judo throw that sent it hurtling off the building and crashing into the ground that easily killed it.

Gale heard a roar and turns his head towards the direction. He sees the Beta Beringel swinging from a low hanging bridge, between two large buildings, and uses the momentum hurtle itself towards Gale and tried to smash him under its feet. The teen rolls out of the way in time, as the Beringel smashes the rather unstable roof with its tremendous weight and falls in.

Gale already leaped off the building and lands on the ground but the Beringel already smashes its way through the wall of the building it was inside and tries to bear hug Gale but he flips over it and lands behind the Grimm.

He throws a wind-dust enhanced punch, the same kind he used on that Death Howler to the middle of its back but only did moderate damage. The winds only tore up some of the back plates and made the Grimm stumble forward. It quickly countered with a brutal backhand that Gale had no time to block and took the brunt of it.

The powerful hit sent him flying back, bouncing, and skidding across the ground until he managed to recover and skidded on his feet until he stopped.

Gale turned to his right and sees more Death Howlers surrounding him and trying to overwhelm him. Gale punches the ground with his right fist and created a small but wide ring of wind that blew all the Grimm back and also blew away small pieces of rubble, giving Gale the space he needs.

With the Grimm spread out, Gale now clenches his fists and the jet turbines begin to spin faster. Gale pushes his arms straight out that start firing out projectiles made of wind at the Death Howlers. When they hit the simian Grimm, they explode like grenades and rip them to shreds, due to the sheer force of the air pressure. Than a larger group of Death Howlers appear which causes Gale to now turn it up a notch by

However, the Beta Beringel intercepted him and tried to land a powerful haymaker. Gale responded by slipping down and sliding on his back, easily dodging the punch and using the momentum of his slide to skid between the Beringel's legs. Once he was behind it, he quickly re-positioned himself and launched himself at the Beringel who turned around, only to get a powerful drop kick to the face from Gale which caused the gorilla Grimm to fall back and skid on the ground, crashing into another group of Death Howlers that fall over like bowling pins. However, that didn't really do serious damage and just sent the Beringel back, as it quickly got back up, more pissed off than hurt.

Before he could do anything else, Gale suddenly felt tired yet again and momentarily lost his focus… which left him open for a random Death Howler to tackle him to the ground which left a trail of upturned stone. Gale came back to his senses and quickly punched the Grimm off of him before it could do anything to him. But the moment he did, another Death Howler took the first one's place and pinned him down. Followed by several more that were swarming on Gale that they even started creating a large dogpile of Grimm that Gale is now buried under, as they try to overpower him and the ones closest to him try to bite his face off.

For a second, Gale tried to free himself but he's clearly under the strain and weight of dozens of man sized chimpanzee Grimm that were working together and holding him down.

Gale ain't gonna let that fly.

"Keep your stinking paws off me you damn dirty apes!" Gale shouted as he activates his Turbine Gauntlets again and punches both of his fists upwards. The massive dog pile of Death Howlers shook and than exploded outwards as a small but powerful tornado erupted and blasted them all away, scattering them across the area.

Gale flips back to his feet and now sees the Beta Beringel charging at him. It grabbed a random Death Howler and throws it at Gale like some kind of thrown projectile.

Gale responds by hitting the Death Howler with a clothesline which bisects the ape Grimm in half which instantly disintegrates seconds after. But that gave the Beringel enough time to get in close and throw a downward punch on Gale and his only response was to raise both of his hands and catch the punch.

However, the punch was so strong that Gale felt the force of the impact rattle his body and also caused the ground beneath him to deeply crack and break. He struggled to keep the fist up, while having his teeth clenched and eyes shut tight, as he did his best to hold the fist up and not crush him.

Suddenly, Gale's body started to glow orange and something else happened. The Beringel noticed his biceps started to slightly gain more muscle, same for his legs. His torso also hardened a little but the most shocking thing that's happening to Gale is something sprouting out of the side of his head….

Elephant ears?

Yep, a pair of elephant ears have sprouted out the side of Gale's head, along with a pair of short tusks that also sprouted from the sides of his mouth.

When he opened his eyes, his pupils remain the same shade of turquoise but his sclera turned pitch black; giving him a rather scary appearance. Even his orange hair slightly grew but not enough to make much of a difference.

This is Gale using his semblance.

Gale decided to use his semblance, to even the field and also because he's at a disadvantage and wanted to clear out most of the Grimm, so he can use it to face the Alpha Beringel.

After activating his semblance, Gale has boosted his stats up by a wide margin and now he's able to match the Beta Beringel that he was struggling against earlier.

With that said, Gale effortlessly pushed back against the Beringel's fist that he even gave one last shove that made the Grimm stumble back but it quickly recovers and tries to throw both of its fists towards Gale but he catches them and now they are in a deadlock.

Both Teenager and Grimm try to overpower each other but neither budges, as they seem evenly matched in strength, but their struggle is so intense that their feet are digging into the ground and cracking it.

"That all you got, big guy?" Gale taunted at the Grimm who didn't respond and looked like he wanted to tear his limbs off. "I bet we can do this all day and I wouldn't even break a sweat."

The Beta Beringel's response was roaring right in his face which was so loud and powerful that Gale's hair ruffles and he couldn't help but squint his eyes a little, along with scrunching his nose, possibly his reaction to the Grimm's bad breath.

"Yeesh. Ever heard of the word breath mint?" Gale asked sarcastically. "No wonder all you Grimm smell like death."

The Beta Beringel started pushing even harder, out of annoyance that this human just won't fall and won't shut up.

Gale fights back and pushes back too… until he stopped pushing back and redirected his position that caused the Grimm to lose its balance and stumble forward with no way or recovering in time.

The young man follows that up by charging his left Cyclone Gauntlet, Tempest, like he did with Gust, and performs the exact same charged punch, this time, right in the Beringel's face.

Once the fist made contact with the Beringel's cheek…

**POW!**

Like a spiraling missile, The Grimm was sent hurtling a good distance, until it crashed into the staircase of the temple, where the Alpha Beringel is still standing at.

When the dust cleared, the Beta Beringel is deeply buried in the rubble at the bottom of the staircase. The Alpha Beringel doesn't bat an eye, as it sees Gale slowly walking up to the temple.

Gale flexes his fingers yet again as the compartments of gauntlets open up and each of them eject two glass containers of wind dust powder that were all used up and empty. He pulls out two more wind dust vials from his pocket and inserts them into the gauntlets. The compartments close and the jet engines rev up again, with green winds swirling around his arms yet again.

Just as Gale is almost near the temple, the rubble on the staircase suddenly shakes and bursts open as the Beta Beringel charges out of the rubble. Much of its bone armor is cracked and damaged, along with much of the mask that Gale punched at has shattered. This time, it's so enraged that it doesn't even bother trying to think, as it just wants to smash this annoying human to a bloody smear.

Gale simply clenched his fist and the jet turbine hummed even louder; gusts of green winds formed and condense into a focused and concentrated ball of wind.

Once the Beringel was within the right distance, the human shot forward the projectile which instantly broke the sound barrier and flew at the Beringel, before it could even react to it. The projectile seemed to look like it has passed through the Grimm and did no damage but the Beringel stops in its tracks and looked stunned all of a sudden.

Seconds after nothing seemed to happen…

**BOOM!**

Suddenly, an explosion of high pressurized air made a slightly larger crater of the staircase and reduced much of the rubble into smaller pieces.

As for the Beta Beringel.. there's clean cut, gaping hole in its chest that Gale could see right through it and see the staircase. It looked down for a second, until it stumbled forward, dropped to its knees, and fell flat on its face in a loud thud and turns to dust seconds after.

The Beta has fallen.

Gale turns his attention towards the Alpha that now looks ready to fight him.

With most, if not all, of the Death Howlers and the Beta Beringel now gone, it's just him and the Alpha now.

However, Gale is still sweating, in worry and slight dread, that he's gonna be taking on an Alpha Grimm… he isn't even sure if he can beat it in his current state and form. He's only using his partial transformation of his semblance but he needs to fight it in this form to see how strong and intelligent this Grimm is, until he can use… his trump card.

The Alpha Grimm snorts again and leaps from it's high post and crashes straight in front of Gale, leaving a massive crater beneath its feet and glares down at Gale.

Gale narrows his eyes at the Grimm; The very one that slayed several villages and killed many innocent people, including some that he has befriended.

"Alright. It's time we settle this." Gale calmly says towards the Alpha Beringel that gives out a loud growl.

Both stayed still and glared at each other silently, one waiting for the other to make a wrong move that could make a difference between life and death.

After a minute of standing still, a Rainbow Macaw was sitting just at the edge of the jungle, on a branch… and gives off a loud call.

Both human and Grimm sprint towards each other at full speed, shaking the ground with every step in their running.

The Alpha Beringel threw the first punch, due to having a longer reach, but Gale shifted to the right and dodged the punch which created a small pressure that kicked up lots of dust and small debris. Gale threw several fast and powerful jabs at the Grimm's torso and than jumped up to meet the Grimm eye to eye and threw his strongest punch right in the Grimm's face… which barely even made it flinch.

Gale leaped back a bit and watches the Grimm slowly turn its head back at him, now really pissed off..

The Beringel raises both of its fists and slams them down… and created a shockwave tore out parts of the ground and sent pieces of the ground flying upwards. Gale responded by activating his gauntlets and shooting out a powerful tornado that pushed back the debris but than he had to stop when he saw the Beringel charging straight through the debris.

Gale was a bit too slow as the Beringel wraps its hand around his entire torso and slams him into the hard ground which left him in a crater. The Alpha Grimm than tries to stomp on his head with his foot but Gale activates his Cyclone Gauntlets again which propelled him back away just in time as the foot stomped the spot where his head would've been.

Gale rolls back onto his feet but sees the Alpha Beringel made another astounding leap and wants to flatten him like a pancake under its fists.

This time, Gale leaped in the air and landed on one of the nearby buildings and starts to open fire on the Alpha Grimm with his wind dust projectiles..but due to the Grimm's thicker bone armor, the projectiles don't even appear to do any damage or making it flinch, despite them exploding on it.

The Grimm now used its arm to block the rest like it's being annoyed. Gale stopped firing to not waste any more ammo and tried to think of a way to possibly beat it without his semblance.

The Alpha than starts grabbing large rocks around it and starts throwing them at Gale who is forced to start dodging them all. Those rocks are pretty big, twice as big as bowling balls, and they were all flying at him as such speeds that they easily shatter nearby walls and parts of the buildings. Heck, when Gale dodged another rock, it ended up hitting the top of a small tower and shattered the top to tiny pieces.

"Now we're playing dodgeball?… All right. Two can play at that game." Gale responded as he too starts using his wind dust to catch some of the thrown rocks and redirect them back at the Alpha Beringel which shatter and break apart with each impact but the Grimm also begins to dodge and even hide behind some obstacles to dodge the projectiles.

After a few minutes passed by, and much of the area is battered, Gale decides to end the game by dodging one more rock and propelling himself with his Cyclone Gauntlets like a rocket and barrels straight towards the Grimm before it could even react.

Gale rammed into the Alpha Grimm, with all of his might and momentum, which caused them to slam through the walls of a building and ended up at another open area of the city. After resisting for a bit, the Alpha Beringel tripped and fell on its back, skidding to a stop.

The Grimm tried to swipe Gale off of him but the boy leaped in the air to dodge the wipe and somersaulted in midair. Before the Grimm could even react, Gale repositioned himself with his feet facing towards the Grimm and his fists pointing straight to the sky.

Gale used the Wind Dust to propel him down at supersonic speeds and slams his feet into the Alpha's midsection which created yet another crater that sent smaller pieces of the ground flying into the air.

The Alpha Grimm took damage but not enough to kill it.

Gale leaped off of the Beringel and gained distance again, as he stared at it with slight shock that he couldn't even break through its bone armor and did little more than slightly crack it.

"Man.. just what is this Grimm made of? Indestructium?" Gale questioned, at how tough this Grimm is, as it got back up.

The Grimm lets out an even louder roar and leaps at Gale again.

Gale prepares another idea to counter the Grimm's upcoming charge by doing the same thing he did to finish off the Beta Berin-... Gale suddenly felt tired again and shut his eyes for a split second… he forced them back open... and instantly sees the Alpha Beringel's bare knuckles inches from his face… and Gale couldn't even blink or react in time.

For a second, Gale wasn't sure what just happened. A moment after seeing the fist, all he sees right now is the sky, despite that he isn't looking up. Though, Gale does see some pretty clouds, with some taking the shapes of elephants and peanuts. Than he felt a powerful impact hit his head and than felt his back skidding against the ground.

Gale was now seeing stars and peanuts floating around his head... and could barely process what just happened.

He slowly got up and shook his head to gain his senses back.

"Uhhh… what just happened?" Gale asked and groaned. "Felt like I got slammed by a giant wrecking ball." Not that he ever did get hit by one but he can imagine that's how strong that Alpha Beringel might be.

Once he can see clearly, Gale can now clearly.. And sees a long, gaping trail where he skidded and also sees two holes in one of the buildings he went flying through.

What just happened was that the Alpha Beringel managed to land a rather powerful and nasty punch right in the young man's face, which sent him hurtling back and smashing through that building until he skidded to a stop.

However, despite his aura taking most of the damage and his partial transformation of his semblance made him more durable, that powerful punch that Beringal gave him was still felt and he started to feel really sore.

But another thing… Gale is NOW really worried about the sudden cases of feeling tired that he even dozed off for a split second.

He looks around and tries to find what is causing this. "_Again...WHY am I getting so tired all of a sudden?" _He also thought in suspicion and even slight annoyance. This can't be a coincidence; there's no way he can be feeling tired when he's fighting for his life, especially when he was feeling so fresh and energetic earlier today.

From a nearby corner, the mysterious Grimm is watching Gale but still lays low to not be spotted.

Before Gale could think any further, he hears the Alpha Beringel's roar again and sees it on top of one of the buildings. It beats its chest again and lands in front of Gale.

"Boy… you sure are a hard hitter". Gale says, as he rolls his shoulders and cranes his neck to make his sore muscles feel better that brought a loud "Crack". "If you weren't such an abominable monster that's bent on destroying humanity and the faunus, I bet you would make a great addition to making so many home runs."

However, as much as he sounded so casual and looked like he shrugged that off with no problem…

"_Still… I would consider myself lucky from that hit..." _Gale silently admitted, as he was plain lucky to endure that hit, thanks to his rather high amounts of aura, which he still has plenty left, and also because his partial transformation that increased his durability. If he got hit with neither his aura nor semblance, he could've died.

That ain't the only problem he needs to worry about; most of his attacks are not doing much damage to the Alpha Grimm, showing just how powerful and tough they are… no wonder they are called Alpha Grimm… not to mention that annoying… whatever is making him fall asleep.

With so many odds stacked against him, Gale is starting to consider he might have to use his trump card…. despite that it drains his aura at quite a decent pace…. and other potential risks it holds.

The Alpha Beringel charges forward once more and closes the distance with each step. However,

Gale closes his eyes, as he focuses really hard, and begins to glow orange again. For some reason, he's standing inside the shadow of a building with the sun behind it. Giving Gale a mystical appearance of glowing in the dark.

The Beringel throws another mighty punch… but Gale lifts up his arm and reaches out, which is now out of the shadow, while the rest of his body hides in the shadow.

The Beringel's fist collides with Gale's left palm but he managed to stop it. Despite catching it, though, the punch still sent cracks through the ground. He even grunted a little and skidded back a few inches but he holds his ground and keeps the fist held back.

Than Gale started to undergo a change yet again.

Much to the Alpha Beringel's shock, the human's body started to grow larger, taller, and even more muscular; his skin on his arm changed to a dull gray, as the skin hardened and grew rougher. His arms and legs gained more muscle, his torso grew wider and broader, his feet suddenly got rounder and flatter, like that of an elephant's. His hands also grew larger that his hand that stopped the punch is now able to wrap its fingers around the fist. As for his head, his elephant ears grew bigger and his small tusks elongated and straightened out, resembling the tusks of a mammoth, and grew a tail. Lastly, his nose suddenly elongated until it stretched out far enough to become that of a trunk.

When the transformation completed, Gale's eyes opened, which glowed a chilling shade of turquoise in the shadows. Giving him a rather scary appearance, due to hiding in the shadows and his eyes glowing right down at the Beringel. Speaking of staring down, Gale's new form is actually one head taller than the Alpha Grimm and appears to be far larger.

The Alpha tried to step back.. but it couldn't, due to Gale having a firm grip on its fist.

In his full transformed state, Gale reels back his right fist and sends out a rather powerful jab, right in the middle of the Grimm's torso. The jab managed to send the Grimm skidding back at least nearly 50 feet and slammed into a nearby pillar which broke in half and fell to the ground.

The Grimm stumbled for a second and fell onto a knee. It noticed much of its bone armor across its midsection are heavily cracked and broken, with some pieces even falling off like shards of broken glass. It took heavy damage in the midsection.

It looked back up and sees the silhouette of Gale walking out of the shadow and reveals himself.

Standing there, is Gale in his full transformed state, that takes the form of a humanoid elephant; Despite looking like an elephant, Gale still has his orange hair but its much smaller which looks more like a small tuft of hair on the top. He also still has his hakama pants on but now look like a pair of shorts, his necklace is barely visible, and his Cyclone Gauntlets are now in their inactive mode as they now look like bracelets once again, wrapped around his thick arms. Lastly, his elephant tattoo is still on his back but now appears to be glowing a bit.

Gale glares at the Grimm for a few seconds then gives out a loud trumpeting roar that echoed across the jungle and made some birds fly away. Gale is doing his best to stay in control of his form, despite how much aura it drains… and if he gets too angry, he might lose control. Despite this, he has the hang of staying in control, by staying calm.

Despite being heavily injured, the Alpha Beringel's purpose of killing kept it going. It stood back on its feet and gave out its own mighty roar, beating its chest even harder. It grabbed the pillar that was laying next to it and hoisted it up high enough to rest it over its shoulder and charged straight at Gale.

Just as the gorilla Grimm swung the pillar, Gale managed to raise his left arm in time to block the pillar which shattered to pieces and Gale appears to be fine… though, he admits he felt the impact which slightly rattled him but is otherwise fine.

The Beingel threw away the rest of the pillar and threw its fists out. To its shock again, Gale was ducking and weaving around the punches like a boxer would. Once he dodged a random punch, he quickly countered with a jab, right in the Grimm's face, cracking its mask a bit. The Beringel hit back with a jab of its own to Gale's stomach but the humanoid elephant only flinched slightly, as he countered with a haymaker but it got blocked by both of the Grimm's arms.

As the fight dragged on, the Grimm that followed Gale kept its distance and continue to watch.

As the two kept trading blows, Gale decided to change things up by ducking and charging forward; pushing against the Grimm with all his might. The Beringle started slamming his fists on Gale's back but he ignored the hits and started picking up speed, charging through several larger buildings that left large holes in them. Once they were out in the open again, the Beringel pushed back and somehow managed to slow down and stop again.

Now both reeled their fists back….and threw both fists forward which collided… and a MASSIVE shockwave struck the center of the collision and spread out like a bomb. The ground beneath them became a large crater and the closest buildings slightly shook remained standing but looser pieces of rubble fell off and pieces of vegetation rustled and peeled off.

The two brawlers went back to trading punches once more and both seemed even again.

But, it seems obvious that Gale is slowly winning, because of his superior fighting skills, along with being slightly stronger and tougher.

But the Beringel is slightly quicker due to being a bit smaller.

The Beringel dodged another jab and actually jumped over Gale and landed behind him. He tried to bear hug Gale and crush him but Gale resisted and pushed back, until he broke out of the Beringel's grip and countered with another jab to the Grimm's face which actually dazed it.

With the Grimm stunned, Gale started laying his attacks without wasting any second. Each punch was breaking more of the Grimm's bone armor and making it stumble back.

However, after a few more punches, the Alpha Grimm broke out of its daze… and more pissed off than ever before.

That left it making a wrong move.

It tried to throw a reckless punch but Gale saw that coming and easily blocked with his forearm. Than he reached his trunk out which wrapped around the the Beringel's throat and throws it against the ground hard enough to shatter the ground again. Than he swings his head around and tosses the Beringel into the side of another building and a large section of the wall falls on top of the Grimm.

The Beringel bursts out of the rubble and charges once more, now in a complete blind rage that it couldn't even think straight. This time, Gale waits in his position and lets the Grimm come to him, until it was within the right distance. The enraged Grimm leaps forward once more and prepares another might punch and Gale thrusts his head forward

The scenery changes to the whole city and a loud sound was heard that caused the nearby birds to fly out of their roosts.

The Beringel stopped in mid air and, for some reason, stayed still. It looks down… and sees Gale's right tusk impaled straight through its midsection. So far in that it was seen sticking out of its back.

Gale quickly grabbed the Beringel by the head, moved his head to the left that tears open a large gash of the Beingel's side, and slams it into the ground that cratered the ground.

The Alpha Beringel is too weak and damaged to fight back, Gale starts throwing a flurry of wild punches to its face that its masks started cracking and breaking to pieces. The punches indented the ground further in that a crater was being formed and got bigger with each punch.

Gale stopped the assault and reared back his right fist for one last punch… than he punches straight down at the Alpha Beringel's head.

That one hit shook like a miniature earthquake. It created an even bigger crater that was at least a dozen feet in diameter.

However, much to Gale's slight disdain, the cobblestone ground they were standing on is practically unstable and begins to crumble and crack.. and collapses.

Both opponents and much the ground began to fall through what appears to be a wide and dark chasm, as Gale roars during his fall, while the Beringel doesn't even utter a sound due to how damaged and beat up it was.

As the loud noise and chaos has settled and silence returned, in the center of the ancient city is a wide gaping hole that leads to who knows where down there.

The Grimm that watched the whole thing approached the hole but stayed silent, as it looks down the gaping chasm.

* * *

**Underneath the city**

Deep below ground, it was dark and damp. Little to no light was visible and the sound of rushing water and droplets hitting pools were heard that echoed the deafening silence within.

Bats were screeching and navigating in the darkness, stalagmites and stalactites were formed on both the ceiling and floors of the cave. In a pool of water that's connected to the cave, a five foot long Cave Salamander breaches the water for a second than dives back in it.

In the middle of it all, there is a large dust cloud and piles of cobblestone laying about but it's definitely. Just seconds ago, a massive heap of rubble and stone came raining down from above and crashed in the middle of this dark cave which did startle some bats and other creatures living in the caves but everything settled down shortly after.

It was very quiet but a random pile of it begins to move and something is under them. It eventually moves the massive slabs of debris off of himself; It's Gale Hathi, still in his elephant form, and alive.

He rubbed and scrapped the dust off his shoulders and turned back into his human form.

"Ho man…. I think I overdid it…." Gale said, as he looked around, seeing the large hole above him and debris all over the place. "Yeah… I definitely overdid it."

He looks to his right… and there lays the Alpha Beringel, buried under several tons of rubble and its entire head smashed in and flattened.

It slowly disintegrates to dust shortly after.

Much to Gale's relief, many of the villages that were slain by that Grimm have been avenged, at least that's what he deeply believes.

However, with that taking care of… just where is Gale now?

He looks around but it's very dark and he can't see very far. Heck, he can't even see 20 feet ahead of him which is nothing but pitch black.

"Man.. it sure is pretty dark down here." Gale said as he tried to adjust to the dark… but couldn't.

After a few seconds of thinking, Gale had an idea and reached into his small satchel (how it managed to survive the whole event is anyone's guess) and pulled out what looks like some kind of gold colored crystal; Light Dust.

Gale keeps plenty of Dust with him, whenever as simple crystals or concentrated powder, used in combat and out of combat situations. He silently thanked himself of keeping a Light Dust Crystal that would come in handy.

With that said in mind, Gale focuses his aura into the crystal that begins to brighten up, as if it's a light bulb, and shines much of the area to make it easier to see in the dark.

The first thing Gale sees… is that he's in a very deep but also very wide and spacious cavern. So wide, that you could barely fit several Atlesian Airships in it.

Despite how moist and damp it is down, he rather go back to the surface and be on his way, since he could just his Cyclone Gauntlets to thrust him upwards and it has more than enough dust to get him back up... hopefully.

Before he decides that, he sees something out in the distance but can barely see because his light dust can only reach so far.

Though, despite his slight hesitance, he decides to check it out by heading in that direction, with the Light Dust crystal in hand to keep the area lit up for him to see easier.

After walking for fifteen minutes, he managed to get much closer and sees everything a bit easier and was a bit awed and intrigued of his discovery.

He sees several of the buildings look very similar in design to the ones of the surface.

_"Could it be that this city might connected to the city from above and made by the same people?" _He asked himself but, he obviously has no answer to that, at least for now.

As he walked further through, he now sees the temple which is pretty massive; probably a bit bigger than the temple on the surface but, instead of having a staircase, it has an entrance and the ceiling is domed shape.

Gale was completely awed and shocked of finding an underground city in the middle of a jungle like this. He has heard and read stories of underground cities across Vale but he didn't expect to find one, especially an ancient one.

As Gale stared at many questions are running through Gale's head but he could find some of them if he goes inside. Despite that he has other things to do, he actually considers investigating this new discovery that hasn't been discovered by anyone else.

So with that decision made, he heads on inside the temple, with the Light Dust crystal to shine his way though and to help him navigate through. However, he stopped and saw torches hooked to the walls.. maybe some fire dust might help. om.

Once he entered the wide opening of the building, he sees something that shocked and awed him. On the walls of the hallway; he's walking through, it has all kinds of paintings drawn on the walls that showed so much beautiful and colored detail. For starters, it showed the vast jungles and mountains that make up the majority of it on the walls, along with all kinds of animals living in them, including the Sanus Elephants.

It made Gale consider the natives of these jungles must be very good at art and especially put a lot of passion in the detail, almost like they worship the jungles and the animals that live in them.

Once he passed through the entire hallway, Gale was even more shocked.

He has entered the center of the entire building which is a wide open room in the shape of a dome. He looked around and the dome shaped room was so large you could fit a few small buildings in it. Despite this place looking hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, and showing signs of aging, the place still looks rather well stable and looks capable of lasting a few more hundred years.

It was the most detailed room as it had paintings on all the walls and even the ceiling which shows the consolations of the stars and other planets of the solar system.

in the center was a wide open floor but Gale saw something that caught his most attention. He saw massive statues that were at least 30 feet tall and were made of stone. Thing is, though, he never seen statues like these before and doesn't recognize them from any books or from the internet that resembles them. Indicating these might be a new discovery he stumbled upon.

Gale brightens the room even more by adding more aura in the dust to see everything better. Much of the room looks very worn down that he can see many cracks in the walls and even several holes in the ceiling of the dome, but it otherwise looks like it can last at least another thousand years.

Now he's able to get a good look at statues even better.

On his left, is the statue of a humanoid being appears to have a masculine figure and build but lacks any other kind physical features on the body... including certain places. As for the head, the face is devoid of any features, even lacking eyes and a mouth. Meaning the whole statue in general looks like some kind of incomplete mannequin. The only interesting feature it has is what appears to be a crown of deer antlers on the top of its head.

The statue stood in place with both of its arms raised to the sides and its palms facing upwards that gives it a divine pose and looks to be full of authority.

Also, perched above the statue is what seems to be a serpentine dragon with antlers, long whiskers, and fur racing down across its back from head to tail.

On the pedestal, it says a word in an unknown language that Gale cannot read or even translate with his scroll.

Gale felt a little curious and intrigued of this statue and the word. Though, the first thing he thought that this statue and word looks important so he feels like wanting to take a picture with his scroll and saving it in his photo album. He's not gonna put them online to show the world and thinks its best to keep them in his photos and keep them safe, until he feels like they might come in handy for some other time.

As for the statue on the opposite side, it looked very similar to the one on the left; having a masculine figure, if a little scrawnier and shorter. It also looks like a mannequin, with no physical features, besides a pair of ram horns it has on its head, instead of antlers. It to also have its hands raised but it looks more erratic and menacing that gives the statue a more frightening and menacing appearance.

Perched above that statue is appears to be another dragon, except it has a more western appearance, including having a more reptilian appearance, wings on its back, curved horns, and sharp teeth and claws. However, it appears to be more like a dragolich, due to having a dragon skull and its wings appears to be torn and full of holes, though, whenever if that is part of the design or being corroded by time, Gale will never know.

He also felt a bit nervous and couldn't but feel slightly afraid of looking at it, especially the dragolich.

Also on its pedestal, it also says a word of its own but in likely the same language Gale cannot translate either.

Gale decided to take a picture of that statue and the word as well and saved it in his scroll.

Now Gale wonders if these two statues are two deities that were worshiped by the people here and maybe the dragons may also be worshiped as well.

Now straight ahead is a third statue... or a lack of one.

Both statues take up two thirds of the dome, so this area should have a third statue in that spot.. but it doesn't. There isn't even a dragon perched above the empty pedestal.

There is no sign of a third statue nor a third dragon, not even any remains of rubble or dust laying around, like as if there never was a statue ever made. This made Gale feel a bit suspicious as to why the room feels like there should be three statues, due to three pedestals when there are only two complete statues. Could it be a coincidence that it wasn't complete and the people ran out of time... or is it some other reason? Not to mention it leaves more questions for what the third statue was suppose to look or what it would've looked like.

Gale noticed some kind of strange symbol on pedestal... it's colored green and looks like some kind of eye that's surrounded by some kind of green arcane circle with three triangles, with two pointing to the left and right while the the third points downwards. It also has five diamonds close above it.

Now he's confused and suspicious of this odd but interesting symbol that takes place on the pedestal. It looks so mystical... yet so important. He decided to take a picture of that one too and saved it in his photo gallery.

_"I think that's enough visiting and sight seeing for today." _The orangette thought as he put his scroll back in his pocket and begins to leave. _"Better leave this place and carry on."_

Gale exits the temple and heads back to the location. He did wonder if there is another way out. The people that lived down must've also came to the surface so there's gotta be... he just saw a stairway that likely leads to the surface... and it's broken and shattered. Not to mention the doorway at the top of the stairs is blocked by many pieces of rock that seals off anything or anyone from getting in or out.

Oh well... might as well take the entrance he made earlier.

He walks back towards the area where he fell, with many of the rubble from the surface still lying about. The orange haired boy looks up and sees the hole he made, and takes a guess it's at least two hundred to three hundred feet up. He flexes his fingers and reactivates his gauntlets that were in their inactive mode. He flexes his index fingers which causes the compartment of the gauntlets to open up. The teen gently pulled out the half empty Wind Dust vials and replaced with vials that are full. He's gonna need a lot to help him get out of here and he's hoping they are gonna count and not go to waste.

Gale pointed his fists to the ground and turns on the engines as they rev up at full throttle and at their loudest, that dust was blown everywhere and some of the smaller pieces of rubble were thrown back.

He suddenly shoots a massive gust of wind that propelled Gale upwards, as he flies up straight like a rocket. He kept going and got closer to the ceiling but he started running out of dust really quickly but he keeps going... than he eventually runs out but he managed to reach out and grab a hanging vine that was connected to the ceiling. He hung on tight and started climbing up, as it felt easy, since he did climb trees and swings through the jungle.

Eventually, after a few minutes of climbing on the vines and rock faces, he finally reached the top and climbed out of that hole. He got back on his feet and took a breather of that intense ride and climb.

Gale is now back where he started, right back to the surface and the small city where his battle with the Grimm started.

And now, he must carry on... though, he did find a few discoveries that might prove interesting... that is if he decides to ever share them.

For now, he should worry all about that later, as he needs to continue forward.

Before he left... he looked back at the city one more time and he realized something... just what happened to this city and these people?

During his visit to the city, both above and below ground, he saw no physical traces or signs, of anybody that may have lived here. Sure, corpses and their skeletons, in certain conditions, eventually reduce to brittle dust. But, even than, there should be at least some well preserved and well conditioned skeletons and even clothing that should be around... and not a single trace of it was found.

It feels strange. It's almost like... these people just vanished out of existence and left the city to crumble by the flow of time and swallowed by nature.

Could this city be a reminder of what the past was and what changed it?

_"What... made this all happen?"_ Gale thought... wondering what kind of cruel fate these people must have met that brought them to their demise. This made him feel very nervous and suspicious what has happened here... he can't but feel this place is a shadow of some kind of ancient civilization.. that has been wiped off of Remnant by some kind of event... he doesn't know what it is.. and he doesn't want to know at the time being.

The teenager now heads off into the jungle once more but he still isn't aware that Grimm that watched the whole battle now follows him once more, from the buildings it was hiding in.

The Grimm saw everything he did and now it's gonna wait to strike at the right moment.

* * *

**Later; 8:30 P.M**

Up on a small mountain that peaks above the massive trees, now showing a beautiful sunset and with the shattered moon also floating in the sky. Gale is found perched near the top, sitting in a cross legged position, laying around him are banana peels and several remains of fruits he gathered and ate, to replenish some energy.

He's playing _Kung Fu Ninja Slayer Ultimate Death Battle, _the first one, on his scroll. He owns and played the second one as well but he admits the first is much better. Not that it stopped him from playing it.

Thing is, he played this game many times… and is starting to feel a little bored. He already beaten every enemy, played and unlocked every character, unlocked all the concept artwork and bonus content, and even beat the entire game on the hardest and highest difficulty possible, and did that in a record time by luck and timing, which he would probably never be able to ever do so again. He has done the same to the second game as well.

After playing for a bit longer… not that he can achieve anything else, Gale sighs and shuts off the game but keeps his scroll to play some music. He can't help but feel tired again, as he rubs his eyes in trying to stay awake.

"Sigh. I know I've already achieved everything and done every single thing the game had to offer… and there's nothing left to achieve from it….. Man do I miss multiplayer where I can actually challenge someone else who's playing with me." Gale said in a slightly tired tone. The only time he ever played multiplayer was with his mentor… Gale decides to do a little meditating to refresh his mind before going to sleep. The sun hasn't set yet as he's got at least two more hours before dusk arrives.

He sits cross legged, closes his eyes and starts to meditate, focusing and clearing his mind to regain some of his aura and to heal some of his injuries.

* * *

**Later; 9:30 P.M**

A few hours have passed as Gale still continues to meditate, completely still as a statue. The sun has already set and the moon was shining overhead.

He sat so still that even a few birds, perched in the tree he sat in front of, felt no intention from him, as he wasn't focusing on them. The birds felt safe and minded their own business, but some even perched on his shoulder but Gale didn't react to them so the birds continue to perch on him to rest or chirp.

He was doing well and felt much better, even already regaining much of his aura back one hour earlier and continues to concentrate, feeling tranquil… than...

"_Freak!"_

_ "Monster!"_

_ "You don't belong here!" _

_"Get out of here or we'll show you why we don't want you around!" _

_"Stay away from us!" _

_You're neither human nor faunus! You're an abomination!"_

To his misfortune and bad luck, Gale started remembering the… rather unpleasant memories.

He couldn't stop himself from visualizing the groups humans and faunus that he met before in their villages; the ones he saved and protected… giving off various negative expressions, from fear, to hatred, or even a mixture of the two, and many of their words were equally as venomous.

The many that he saved and tried to help feared his transformed state and even question what kind of race or species Gale is suppose to be to them, whenever if he's a human or a faunus… or something else.

Truthfully, he looks like a human, by default, and looks like an elephant faunus when he uses his semblance, except a few minor differences.

Sometimes, even he isn't sure what he's supposed to be, as either of the two races, or some kind of hybrid, despite his mentor telling to not worry about what he is.

But still, hearing those words of hatred, spoken by those that he saved, yet, being ungrateful to him, still felt like a slap in the face.

He started to tremble and shake, as his concentration started to falter, that even the birds that are perched on him became wary and wanted to leave…

Much to his fear that he didn't want to remember.. Gale visualized another figure.. that resembles a teenage girl, with blonde hair and a tanned complexion, wearing clothing fit for the jungle; a pair of cargo shorts, a tank top, and a pair of combat boots. She has her back turned and Gale heard a voice that sounded feminine… that also sounded deathly afraid.

"_Don't come near me…"_

He lets out a loud and strained gasp, as he broke his concentration and shutters back into reality. The birds flew off of he as his movement startled them, leaving Gale alone again.

Gale took several deep breaths to calm down but he still felt spooked and scared hearing that one voice he hasn't heard in a few years… he wanted to forget that one.

As he kept thinking, he couldn't help but tighten his grip into the soft ground he's sitting on, his fingers digging into the soft dirt and a handful of dirt crushed into his shaking fists.

"_Again… do some people have to look down on me and spit at me like I'm some kind of freak show, even after I've saved their lives that were in danger?" _Gale thought in slight frustration. Normally, he never lets his emotions get to him that easily and, has enough willpower and patience to ignore those insults, like they are nothing to him.

Though, tonight feels different and now it feels like he might break down if this keeps up. Maybe he's been taking it for so long, bottling it all up, to the point it's starting to reach a breaking point where he can't hold it for much longer.

That amount of stress started making Gale feel even more... tired.

Fortunately...he starts to remember the lives of others that he saved and helped before… and they gave a different response.

"_You're so awesome!" _

_"Thank you for saving us from the Grimm!" _

_"Young man, how could I ever repay you for saving my life?" _

_"I wish I had a semblance like that!" _

_"I love elephants! Elephants are so awesome!" _

_"__Whatever you are, human or faunus, we are in your debt."_

Gale now visualizes there are others humans and faunus that actually praised and thanked him, for his bravery and fighting off Grimm, for nothing in return. Not even judging his transformed state that resembles a humanoid elephant.

That actually made him smile and feel a little better, as he remembers a vision of him standing on top of a pile of Grimm corpses, as the villagers cheer on to him and thanking him for saving them.

"_At least there are a lot of people out here that do care for me, for who I am.. rather than what I am.." _Gale thought in slight comfort.

Then, he looks over the horizon where the sun is setting… out in the distance, he sees one of the mountains.. And sees the temple he used to grow up in.

But still…. even to those he saved and helped… he still can't really connect with them on a more personal level. Not when he doesn't stay for long and moves on with his own things he needs to deal with.

Even from all the praise and appreciation from the people that do accept him… he still can't help but feel the loneliness and the rather small hole inside his heart.

He feels like he wants something to fill it… something… someone… someone that would understand him and he can relate to on a deeper level… the only two known individuals that filled his heart was his mentor… and _her. _

The teen stopped thinking right there and decides to worry about tomorrow, as the sun was setting over the horizon.

He yawns, as he's getting tired, probably after that intense battle with those Grimm and especially fighting that Alpha Beringel which forced him to use his semblance.

Gale gently leans against the tree and shuts his eyes, and slowly enters a deep slumber, feeling at ease. But he ain't gonna have any peace for his sleep tonight.. cause he isn't alone up here.

The air started to feel tense and eerie.. as some kind of dreadful presence is moving behind the tree Gale is leaning up against in his sleep.

It's that same Grimm again… and it's now seizing it's chance on Gale who's fast asleep.

Perched on the small tree, just above Gale, it leans down as far as it could and stretches out its snout, slowly reaching towards Gale but, everything goes dark, just as the snout was inches from his head.

* * *

**Gale's Dreamworld**

Gale opens his eyes.. and looks around where he is at.

What he sees… is nothing but a black void with darkish-blue swirls of wispy smoke that's drifting through the void within the dreamworld that he's apparently in.

Gale continues to look around but he seems to be alone.

"Umm… hellooooooo?" He called out, with a little comical flare to it. "Anybody here?" But no answer. Nothing but silence…. except for the strange and eerie whispers he hears echoing in the void, which he can't understand what they are saying. "Anybody gonna answer that?" He finished with a slight joke to it.

Still no answer.

The whispers now started to creep Gale out a little as their volume picked up slightly.

"_Those strange whispers are starting to get on my nerves… makes me wonder what they are saying… hope they aren't talking about me…." _Gale thought in concern but he keeps his composure, and yet he can't help but feel like those whispers are likely talking about him.

He looks around again and wonders what he should do. He shifted his feet a little in his standing position as he also scratches the back of his head as well.

"Alright. I know this is cliche or whatever, but should I wait until I wake up from my dreams? Or should I do that one trick where I sharply pinch myself in the ass, which should jolt me awake… or…."

He couldn't help but see something… or _someone_ within the smoke.

The figure stands there and facing towards him but the smoke was blocking much for Gale to see. All he could see was his silhouette; The only thing Gale can make out was that he towers over Gale, at least by a staggering 9 feet in height.

It's his mentor… or at least, in his dream, that's what it looks like.

"You….?" Gale said in shock. Despite being heavily aware this isn't real and tries to logically convince himself that this is just a dream...he can't help but feel that figure feels too familiar and even real to an extent.

The old man than turns around and starts walking away from Gale in the opposite direction.

"W-Wait!" Gale stuttered, as he begins to walk slowly that turns to running, towards his mentor he's trying to reach out to. "Is it really you?! Are you even real or are you just part of my dream?!" Gale asks in desperation in hopes the figure would answer back to him but the he still doesn't reply. "Don't turn your back on me! I need to know!" He shouted again. Even if his mentor isn't real… just watching him walk away from him is heart wrenching and he still wants to see his face.

Gale's mentor continued walking forward through the void, with Gale still chasing him. Despite running at full speed, Gale couldn't get any closer and it appears the the elderly man is walking further away from him and appears to be vanishing into the smoke.

"Answer me, damn it!" his confusion slowly turned into desperate pleas as the being still doesn't answer back to him.

His desperation and dread began to rise, the more he tries to reach out. "Why did you have to go like that?!" He shouted in anger and sadness. "You told me you were strong and wise that no huntsman has ever bested you in a bare fisted fight! You inspired me to to train hard! You promised me that you would watch me grow up and complete my training, before your time came!" Gale shouted as he tried his hardest to hold back his tears but his mentor still didn't answer, as he's nearly completely gone into the smoke.

"Just why?!" Gale shouted even louder but still no response. "I've had so much to learn from you! I've worked so hard trying to reach your expectations! And then I had to do it all on my own, ever since that day! Is this how it had to be this way for me?!"

Still no answer, as his mentor was completely out of his sight, like he vanished out of existence.

"No! Stop! Don't go! DON'T LEAVE ME!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as the dreaded feel of loneliness starts to take hold of him, reducing his speed from a sprint to a stumbling walk.

"…. Don't leave me all alone…." he quietly whispers and so close to shedding tears.

Gale nearly falls to his hands and knees but he refuses to fall, as he keeps stumbling forward in the void.

Despite being all alone again, he keeps walking forward...than things start taking a turn for the worse….

Just as Gale thought it couldn't' get any worse… the surrounding area started to darken… and the color of the blackish blue background of the void.. changed to a blood red.

Than the area started to form the silhouettes of tropical trees and and dense bushes that makes the area now look like a dense jungle.

Gale stopped in his tracks notices the sudden change and darts his eyes and head around, slightly surprised.

The eerie and inaudible whispers have stopped… but now Gale hears the sounds of... growling and snarling.

Gale stopped darting his eyes around and stood still. His breathing starts speeding up and his pupils shrunk… for some reason, he starts to feel genuinely afraid and terrified. Like he's REALLY scared and feels like he's facing sudden death and despair.

Within the void… Gale sees a pair of red eyes, staring at him… followed by another pair… and another... and another.. until he sees hundreds, if not thousands of eyes, all staring right back at him.

The thousands of eyes come closer… and revealed themselves to be the Grimm.. but what frightened Gale that made his pupils to shrink in slight horror.

There were lots of them…. In the thousands, if not tens of thousands.

The majority of them are Beowolves and Ursai, along with tons of Barboartusks, Creeps, Beringels, Death Howlers, Griffons, and Lancers.

He also saw a few Nevermores, King Taijitu, and Death Stalkers behind the front line as they also look eager to devour him.

But what Gale saw that surprised him the most… he saw a bunch of massive Goliaths, at the furthest back, as they trumpeted and growled at Gale. Being 200 foot tall elephant like monsters, Goliaths are some of the most feared Grimm around and seeing a bunch of them way far in the back makes Gale feel a bit unnerved.

But that's where the true terror begins…

A random Beowolf started to violently twitch and jerk, as if it was suffering a seizure… and its bone armor started falling off, while its body started bulging, contorting, and even melting a bit.

The same was happening to all the other Grimm.

But the horror has just begun, as the Beowolf started sprouting a second pair of arms from its shoulders and tipped with razor sharp claws. Dozens of burning red eyes sprouting all over its body... which were all staring directly at Gale… and it grew a long snake tongue that was hanging out of its mouth.

One by one, all the other Grimm, including the Goliaths, in front of Gale, also began mutating, undergoing their own horrific transformation that made them look like downright nightmarish abominations straight out of your worst nightmares. Heck, each one was completely different as neither two beowolves had the same mutation and looked completely different, which makes it more unsettling.

Gale couldn't help be feel absolutely terrified of this scenery. He didn't know exactly why.. It's like as if this place he's in is making him feel dreaded to his very core; feeling completely helpless and vulnerable, like a tiny mouse that's out in the open and nowhere to run or hide, as a massive and downright terrifying snake slithers towards him and prepares to devour him.

Gale tried to raise his fists and activate his Cyclone Gauntlets… but he heard no familiar sound of them activating. He slowly turns his attention to his arms… and all he sees are just his arms and hands… with no gauntlets on them.

Gale's pupils shrink in horror…. He has no weapons and dust with him.

The mutated beowolf with several eyes across its body and extra pair of arms pounced on him but Gale recovered from his shock and punched back that sent it flying. But it was instantly replaced by a mutated Ursa that had its entire mouth split wide open and its stomach had a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, as it tried to slash him with it's extended claws. Gale barely dodged the claw swipe and kicked the Ursa's head off with a roundhouse kick.

The moment he did that, he got slammed in the back by something that zoomed past him. It rolled back towards him and revealed to be a barboartusk… that appears to be bent out of shape and its tusks are much longer and curved back that they are digging into its forehead, while the rest of its teeth are needle like, while it gives off a loud and unholy squealing sound.

Gale kicks it away when it tried to bite him but he's slowly starting to get overwhelmed by all the Grimm. He tried to fight them all off but he sees the much larger mutated Grimm; the Nevermores now have teeth in their beaks, their feathers are even sharper, and they now grew another pair of wings that give them a total of four. The Death Stalkers tails have split into three separate tails and their claws also split apart that now resemble bony fingers. The King Taijitu now have each of the two heads grow two more from the sides, which give them a total of six heads, and a total of four eyes, along with longer fangs. The Goliaths now each have two trunks that have teeth in the snouts and also having a third eye on its forehead, along with another pair of shorter tusks added.

Gale was heavily sweating but he keeps fighting.

Things only got worse from there….

"_**YOU…."**_

Much to Gale's horror, he now hears the whispers again but, this time, more clearly... and they sound more like venomous insults aiming at him… and they sound even more sinister and spiteful.

"_**THEY SEE YOU AS A FREAK…" **_

_**"THEY HATE YOU BECAUSE THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU REALLY ARE TO THEM…"**_

_** "EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THEM… ONLY TO TURN ON YOU IN RETURN…" **_

_**"YOU'RE BETTER OFF LIVING ALONE… WITH NO ONE TO BE WITH YOU…."**_

Gale does his best to ignore the harsh whispers, as he knows this is just a nightmare and these whispers are likely his subconscious of self doubt that's manifesting into his nightmares and trying to make him break down. He keeps pushing through, as he tries to fight off the swarm of mutating and abominable Grimm that are trying to overwhelm him.

He punches through several more mutated beowolfs and grabs a random one by the head and jaw and rips it in two. He grabs a random mutated Creep by the tail and used it as a club and bashed all the other

"_**IF THEY SHALL TREAT YOU LIKE A MONSTER… WHY NOT GIVE THEM A DEMONSTRATION AS ONE...?"**_

That last one made Gale's blood run cold from hearing that.

Gale may have encountered some villagers that treat him like a monster, but he would NEVER attack them or hurt them in any shape or form. He would NEVER stoop as low as the Grimm would ever be. He made a promise to himself and to his mentor that he will never use his power to harm the innocent.

But Gale can't keep thinking as more mutated Grimm started to overwhelm him, especially since he's unarmed and is getting sloppy.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a humanoid figure. He turned his head for a second… and saw that girl he thought earlier… she has her back turned but something seems wrong… her skin is all pale like that of a ghostly white and her hair is also ghostly white, rather than blonde.

But she suddenly looked over her shoulder but still doesn't fully reveal her face; Gale sees her skin is pale gray and black veins run over her face... and her eyes are black with red pupils that stare deep into his soul.

Just as Gale felt even more afraid of seeing that, he was left open, as a random Beowolf tackled him from the side and to the ground. Gale's lack of concentration due to fear and being too many Grimm coming at him all at once, he got pinned down by several more beowolves and ursai pin him down but don't bite or scratch him... yet.

Gale started to panic even more as the Grimm started to swarm him like vultures feasting on a carcass, as they begin to break him into despair.

He kept fighting back, as he thrashed and moved every muscle he could but they kept him pinned down...

Gale was starting to slowly give up and even felt despair and fear consuming and suffocating him.

Gale felt so scared and full of panic that the last thing he could think of was the regret of never travelling and seeing the rest of the world and finding his purpose.

_"So this is it for me..." _Gale thought as it was the only thought he could process.

However, when it looked like it was over for Gale… a bright burst of orange light shines out over the distance but a humanoid silhouette was spotted within the orange light. All the Grimm looked at the light and silhouette, as they instantly screeched and howled in pain, as if the light was burning them. They all screech in pain and agony as they reduce to ashes, even the giant Grimm didn't stand a chance.

The whispers went silent, as the red shade of the entire void slowly turned back to it's default color.

Gale was panting and laying there as he was slowly trying to comprehend what just happened.

As Gale was now free from the Grimm, he slowly got up into a sitting position, as he was still recovering. He slowly turned his head, looked up… and saw his mentor… standing there and looking very stoic and tranquil at him.

As said before, the most eye catching feature of Gale's mentor is his light blue skin and his elephant ears that are on the sides of his head which are also colored blue.

Upon closer inspection, Gale can now see his entire front side and his face. In addition of his orange necklace on his neck, for accessories, he also has golden bands wrapped around his arms and several golden earrings on his elephant ears.

Across his chest is a very deep and nasty looking scar that travels across his chest.

As for his face; his face is quite narrow but very chiseled and solid looking, despite also being covered in lots of wrinkles. He has quite a unique case of gray facial hair; he has very long and thick eyebrows over his eyes which are deeply shut as if it looks like he's sleeping. Lastly, he has a long and thick beard; so thick that Gale can't even see his mouth.

This is Gale's mentor; who's an elephant faunus with blue skin and towering at a staggering nine feet.

He had his arms crossed and was looking down at Gale but showed a genuine and fatherly smile behind his beard.

Than he lowered himself a bit as he got on one knee to get a Gale's eye level.. or as close as he could get due to his towering height that he had to still look down at Gale.

"**It seems you are lost… and alone, my young pupil..." **Gale's mentor gently spoke to him, in a deep and sincere tone, filled with wisdom that made Gale feel so much relieved and safer. In a way, he sounds like a caring and loving grandfather with a hint of badass added.

Despite seeing his mentor, even if he isn't real, Gale looked down in shame… he doesn't know what do… in fact, he doesn't even know what he should do or where to go for that matter.

"**I see you're unsure of yourself and you're heart's filled with loneliness and doubt…." **He continued as he understood Gale's issues and struggles, because he's part of Gale's consciousness.

"Yeah? Well whoop de doo." Gale answered back in a rather sarcastic tone. "Thanks for being so uplifting and supporting. You wanna know something? I'm feeling great, actually." Gale continued. "In fact, I bet I'm feeling so great that even the Grimm would choke and gag just by being near me. What does it look like that I'm going through?" He said again but now he sounds more like he doesn't care. "I bet you wouldn't know…. because you're probably just some old fart that's part of my consciousnesses and just look like him…. you aren't even real…." Though, Gale didn't mean to be rude or even that harsh… he's just been through so much for so long that it's really starting to wear him down and doesn't even care

"**Now…. didn't I teach how to respect your elders…?" **Gale's mentor said teasingly and with a raised eyebrow, despite still having his eyes shut and not even feeling offended by Gale's sarcasm. **"Even if I am not really your mentor in the flesh, only a mere part of your dreams that resembles him… at least consider to appreciate seeing me as a reminder of who raised and trained you…"**

Gale couldn't help but roll his eyes but actually smiled… real or not… he feels happy hearing the voice of his mentor again. He turns his head back up and looks at him and gives off a rather genuine smirk.

"Alright… even if you aren't real… at least looking at you and hearing that voice of yours makes me feel better…" Gale answers but no hint of sarcasm and is actually being honest.

Gale's mentor smirks and happily sees Gale looking better. **"There's that smile you always give me when I teach you something important or when we finish our training..." **

"Yeah… good times…" Gale said but tries to sound happy. "But…"

"**But what...?" **Gale's mentor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But what's the point about me?" Gale said as he finally had enough bottling up his frustrations and questions that he thought of for so long. "Just... what am I doing here? What's my purpose? Why am I holding myself back from traveling across Remnant? Is my self taught training really worth replacing the training you gave me in the first place?" He was on the verge of shedding a tear again, as he wasn't sure of himself, especially after recently. "Am I really worthy of becoming a huntsman by myself?...Would Have things been different if you were alive and helped me find my purpose….?"

Now that was deep for what Gale just said.

In truth, Gale still isn't sure what what his purpose is and what he can do for himself. He wants to become a huntsman but he thinks he's not worthy of it.

He lost his mentor when he was a kid, when he still had a lot to learn. It left a rather traumatized impact on him but he continued his training in his own way, in addition to the training his mentor gave him.

He spent the rest of it taking care of himself just to survive and reach his condition that he's in now. But with no one there to approve of his training and improvement, Gale slowly suffered a bit of self esteem issues and self doubt. The occasional judgement and fear of his semblance only cemented it a bit further from everyone else he met in the jungles, despite most of them praising him for his acts of protection against the Grimm.

But most of all… that day… with… _her… _The one memory he doesn't want to think about but, in the corner of his eye, he saw the same feminine figure with her back still turned…. but he notices her skin isn't pale anymore and it's back to a tan complexion. Gale turned his head towards that direction but he saw nothing….

Through all of it, he managed to hang on and stayed positive as much as he could, until recently, especially right after the nightmare that scared him out of his wits and the whispers that taunted him.

Gale turned and looked at his mentor again to see what his reaction is… who doesn't bat an eye at him..

"**...You're putting too much of this upon yourself… and you know that, don't you...?"**

Gale couldn't say a word… he expected his mentor to pity him… but no, that's not what his mentor back than would do. He's doing what he's always done for him; comforting and giving him a firm lecture.

"**You say that to yourself, because you think all your own efforts are meaningless and worthless, because there was no one else, since my passing, to approve of them... but you and I know that's not true…."**

"Not true?" Gale asked, feeling his doubt slowly washing away.

"**Yes. Even before my death, I've always saw how you improve yourself in any way you could, including your own ideas and approaches in your training, in addition to mine that I've given you. Even on days when no training was scheduled for you, you've always tried to think of something new and wanted it added to that schedule… **

Gale was shocked hearing that… he's been doing good on his own?

The void suddenly shifted and showed Gale, in his youth, around the age of 9. Unlike the Gale that he is today, his youthful self was fairly scrawny and lacked the tattoo on the back

He was training very hard by punching a small tree many times until he could penetrate the bark and send it tumbling down. His grandfather was seen watching by the sides but is willing to stop Gale if he overexerts himself. But to his surprise and joy, Gale was suddenly punching harder and harder that he was starting to penetrate the bark until he finally punched through the trunk and the tree falls over. Gale smiles and was jumping in victory of passing that part of the training. He turns his head and sees his mentor was smiling at him in approval.

Gale himself started to smile at the memory; that was his first tree he managed to punch down with his bare hands.

"**But after I passed away… you thought my training was all that mattered that you either neglected your own ideas or loathed them… because you thought they weren't worth it with no one else's approval…. "**

Gale… silently admits to that part. The loss of his mentor and loneliness was a rather traumatic experience he had to face for a while and still does to this day.

Now the void shows Gale, in his early teenage years, around the age of 13. While he's a little bit buffer, he's still skinnier than he is now, but he now sports his elephant tattoo on his back.

He was on his knees, his eyes clenched shut, and shedding tears… all alone and his mentor was nowhere to be seen, while it was a dark and rainy day, as rain drops splashed everywhere

Out of anger and sadness, he suddenly shot up to his feet and instantly punched through a much bigger tree that his fist easily penetrated through the whole trunk in one punch. The tree falls over in a loud thud and splash but that didn't make Gale feel any better, as he still looked sad.

Gale remembered that moment too… that was the day after his mentor passed away and he was still sad over his mentor's death...

"**And yet, you still continue using them, because you know and admit they do mean something to you…"**

Gale now sees several different instances of him in different training sessions on his own; punches, kicks, push ups, sit ups, inverted sit ups, pull ups, squats, wrestling with some weaker Grimm, and even meditating.

Gale… was speechless… and his mentor's right. Gale actually does admit he loves his own way of training, despite missing out his mentor's training and thought his was better…

"**As for you being alone and no one else there for you... It's true that you've sacrificed so much by yourself to be where you are now. But most of all… no one likes being alone, not even the biggest of loners can live completely alone forever, because even they have their limits and need the attention of others..."**

As much as Gale can take care of himself and be on his own… he doesn't like being completely alone… which is why he tried to befriend many villagers. While he does in fact befriend most of them and create good memories… some didn't last long… because he's always traveling around the jungles back and forth. Sometimes… some of the villagers he has befriended… either end up hating him… forgotten him… or are demolished by the Grimm in his absence….

But still, he must remember the other villagers that he did save have truly praised him and will always remember him. Heck, the void now shows one village even made a statue of him in their honor.

Things like that make Gale feel.. warm and happy.

Despite that, sometimes, even the villagers he befriended aren't enough because they aren't on his level and they can't leave their villages without their own protection. Gale does stay for a day or two with them but he can't stay for long because….

"**Even when you have befriended many of the villagers that do accept you… some of them still fear you for your beastly form you take with your semblance… because they fear your power if it were a situation where you turned on them."**

Much to Gale's fear, the void now shows something that frightened him…. He sees nothing but darkness, a raging fire… and a silhouette of a massive humanoid elephant standing there and looking menacing.. while it's eyes glow in the dark that gives it a scary and terrifying appearance.

Gale couldn't stand it but the void erases the image Gale saw that he feared, just in time.

In a way, Gale's mentor was right on that part… Gale can still remember some villagers were rather harsh towards him.. because they were afraid of him and his power which some of them have witnessed when he was forced to use it on stronger Grimm that raided the villages. He can't really blame them because even he fears his semblance and it's destructive might if not used correctly.

But that also made Gale wonder… are there other people out there with a semblance like his and they too have to face the hatred for their beastly looks…?

"**I too have faced such discrimination and being feared in my younger days, in a similar way…. for my massive size, my unusual blue skin tone, my towering might, and being an elephant faunus. Worse, even some fellow faunus have discriminated me for the same reasons, minus the last one…. but I never let that hatred get to me and I've never stooped to their level… because I believe we all can one day bring ourselves, humans and faunus, together and to fight against a common enemy we all have to deal with… Creatures of Grimm."**

It's true there as well… his mentor has faced such prejudice but he never let that get the better of him and believes humans and faunus can truly live together in harmony one day…. and defeat a common enemy they both share. He was actually feeling happy his grandfather stuck to his beliefs and never let hatred nor malice get the better of him. Gale also has done that and stuck to his own beliefs of bringing harmony together between both races of Remnant.

"**In that case, you should go out and attend an academy, make some friends, and form a team; who you can bond and fight alongside with, so you don't have to fight and live in solitude again."**

Hearing that one.. actually made Gale think that's a nice idea. He also wanted to be a huntsman to protect the innocent and helpless form the Grimm and he will be learning to become one alongside three potential teammates he might meet in the future to form and bond with…. that's a splendid idea and now his doubts are starting to wash away.

"**Overall, you shouldn't rely on me or others to decide who you want to be and what you want to do." **Gale's mentor poked Gale's chest where his heart is. **"**_**That **_**is for **_**you **_**to decide for yourself."**

Gale smiled even more. Even if this isn't his real mentor, even he can't stop being surprised by his words of wisdom.

"**And another thing…" **Gale's mentor added while sounding… a bit enthusiastic… and the void suddenly took a pink shade.

Gale raised his eyebrow and wondered what his mentor was about to say…. but for some reason, despite that Gale can't see his mouth, he couldn't help but feel his mentor is widely grinning underneath that beard…

"**You may even find and meet someone very **_**SPECIAL~." **_Gale's mentor added with emphasis on that, wiggling his eyebrows up and down, while suddenly making a heart shape with both of void suddenly made a pink heart shape out of the smoke… and standing in its center is the silhouette of a girl who was doing a flirty pose.

Gale gave off a mortified expression at what his mentor just told him, until he remembers his mentor does have a rather corny sense of humor when he wants to be….

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Gale said astonished in confusion and embarrassment.

"**You heard me." **Gale's mentor teased and egging it further at Gale. **"A special someone that your heart may fall for, when you get to know them more, getting the little knots tied together eventually…"**

"N-N-Now hold on a second! W-Why would you bring that kind ridiculous and unnecessary kind of topic u-" Gale protested as his face turned slightly red but got interrupted.

"**And if you're **_**very**_** lucky, you and your **_**SPECIAL somebody**_** might even someday start making a-**

"ALL RIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Gale shouted in complete embarrassment as his mentor was now laughing at the top of his lungs.

"**Oh what's wrong?" **Gale's mentor asked and sounded innocently but was REALLY pushing Gale with his humor. **"I thought you liked my jokes of wisdom, especially when they en-**_**lighten **_**you up. **He finished with a pun.

Gale facepalmed….

"You're definitely the worst" Gale muttered in embarrassment but still smiled at missing his mentor's humor… especially puns.

Gale's mentor stopped laughing but still smiled under his beard and Gale just smiled back.

**"Just kidding. ****It's up to you to decide on that kind of life choice as well."**

The two stared at each other a bit longer... maybe his mentor is right, maybe Gale should give it a try to go out there and find a purpose and even a team that he can share his experiences with.

Gale than wanted to ask something but, things quickly changed, all of a sudden, when he suddenly saw a shining bright light of orange in the distance.

His mentor also saw it but his brow slightly furrowed.

"**Hmm… it seems you are close to waking up very soon… and I suggest you get going on that." **Gale's mentor said but added a hint of a warning to him, as Gale looks at him in confusion.

"What do you mean by ?" Gale asked confused.

"**That light will be the guide and beacon to waking you up from this deep slumber."** Gale's mentor told him.

"Wait.. does that mean you will…" Gale suggested and Gale's mentor nodded.

"**It means, when you wake up, I'll also cease to exist, because I'm just part of your dreams… but you already know that."** Gale's mentor added.

Gale looks a bit saddened but looks at his mentor again who then looks a bit genuinely sad but he also shows his stoic expression to Gale.

"**In case if I ever don't come back in your dreams again, this is my goodbye… but I will tell you one last thing before I go"**

Gale's mentor knees down until he's just right at Gale's eye level. He slowly opened his eyes... which shows his orange colored pupils.

"**My guidance and teachings that I taught have long since past… but that doesn't mean it has ever ended there… you will carry yourself on ahead without me… which you will still do, ever since you've begun your journey…. continue the path you carve and never stray from it….."**

Gale's mentor hugged him with one of his massive arms, which was as thick as Gale himself. Gale by surprise but he gladly hugs back just as much, with tenderly affection, as tears start streaming down his face. He doesn't even care if he's crying right now as he lets it all out; feeling happily embraced once again that he hasn't felt for years… even if it's just in a dream.

"**Never forget what I have taught you but never hold back on yourself either… use what you've learned, both from me and yourself, stay strong and wise… I am proud of you.. as I have always have been, even after I am no longer with you." **Gale's mentor continues.

"Yes… I'll never forget… I promise…." Gale responded softly. He doesn't care if it's a dream… he feels so happy hearing his mentor's voice again and embracing him, even if it ain't even real.

Gale's mentor smiled again but he started to fade, as if he's slowly disintegrating into ash and dust.

"**I will always watch over you… my strong and brave... grandson… **The mentor, now revealed to be Gale's grandfather, whispered, as he crumbles away and scatters in the wind. **"Never forget who you are and the memories I raised you to be… now go out there and find your purpose and happiness… Gale Hathi." **

Gale hugs back as tight as he could, for as long as he could, to remember that loving embrace his grandfather has given him many times in his younger days.. until he could no longer feel it, as he's hugging nothing but emptiness.

Gale stood in silence, looking somber and feeling alone once again… he sighs again but sucks it up, making a promise to his grandfather he will find his new purpose and happiness that he seeks.

Gale sees that bright, shining light in the distance; the one his grandfather pointed to and he needs to get there so he can wake up.

Gale took his grandfather's words and stepped towards the orange light.

The smoke began to clear around him, as the light got a little brighter in the void and Gale continues walking towards it.

After a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity, Gale got closer to the light and looks around. He notices the void starts to shift and wrap around him which startles him but he calms down as a bit as he starts feeling he's standing on something else and looks down. He notices the ground is made of hexagonal shaped cobblestone.

After staring at the ground again for a few seconds, he looks ahead of the cobblestone path and continues onward. He wonders where this would lead to but, he hesitates for a second, until he felt encouraged enough to step forward.

After walking on the path for a bit, he notices more things ahead; he sees lots of light poles, trees, benches, and double colonnades bisected in the main avenue.

He looks down sees part of the cobblestone shows a symbol that is two crossed axes over some kind of crown made of wheat. He recognizes it as the symbol of Vale...

He continues to walk forward until he encounters something else in front him.

In the center, It's some kind of statue which is a large boulder with two warriors on top of it, one male with a sword, one female with an axe, and a beowulf the bottom.

Gale stared at the statue for a second until he saw something behind it… and it's massive. He sees a massive tower that towers over everything else, along with tons of other buildings and spires surrounding it. It almost looks like some kind of school academy.

"Is that… Beacon Academy?" Gale said out loud.

From what info he gathered, when he was a kid, and thanks to his grandfather's tutelage, he read tons of books about the history of Remnant, including Vacuo and the other kingdoms. He even knows the headmaster of this academy is none other than the wise and wonderful Ozpin.

"This has to be some coincidence… is it?" He asked himself as he stared at the entire academy before him. Normally, he's aware people having dreams can sometimes be connected to possible things happening in the future but Gale thinks this feels this can't that much of a coincidence….

The void suddenly warps again and Gale now sees many human sized silhouettes materializing in front of him 30 feet away.

The silhouettes are hard to describe but Gale notices they look like teenagers, both male and female, and are wielding weapons in all different shapes and sizes. Otherwise, he can't make out much of their appearances besides a few minor characteristics.

The majority are standing in a crowd but Gale notices two of them are standing the closest to him; One is a male and the other is a female.

The male silhouette appears to be a faunus cause it looks like he has a pair of horns on his head. He's tall, well built, and appears to have a sword strapped to his hip while standing there.

As for the female; She appears to be human cause he doesn't see any faunus features… but Gale notices she does have long and luscious hair that reaches down to her back. She also looks pretty well built in the arms and legs but she still looks pretty curvy.

To Gale surprise, the two silhouettes started to move while the others remained still.

The male silhouette suddenly draws his sword and his hair starts to glow blue, along with his mask and parts of his clothing that also glowed. He's surrounded by a raging blue aura, as he appears to channeling his sword's power that the blade is now shining brightly in a bright blue glow.

He takes a fighting stance with his sword, as if he's ready to battle, as the blue aura and glow of himself intensifies.

As for the female; Her hair suddenly starts glowing a bright yellow and it even appears to become a raging inferno. She suddenly slams both of her fists together and the intensity of her flaming hair skyrockets that she now looks like a miniature sun.

But what Gale saw that caught him by surprise is that he can see her eyes... which are a blazing red. She stares at Gale with those furious looking eyes but she doesn't move and stays in her pose, as her hair continues to scorch and shine the area that it slightly brightens it a bit.

When Gale saw all of it in front of him, he couldn't help but feel surprised and awe by both of their display. Heck, he can't help but even feel.. a little excited.

The dream realm starts to distort again, as everything starts getting brighter in a flash of silver light. If Gale would have guessed, he's starting to wake up… but the last thing he sees, as he turns around… is the bull faunus and the blonde girl who stare at him again but still do nothing.

However, he saw something else that surprised him… perched on top of the tower of Beacon.. Is some kind of silhouette that looks like a dragon or wyvern, giving out a mighty roar. Gale didn't understand what that meant… but he can't help but feel something isn't right seeing a dragon on top of a tower all of a sudden.

But what shocked him even more was that the female, for some reason, is missing her right arm and appears to be in pain, while the male faunus is missing his mask but Gale can't see his face since he's covering his face with his left hand. Gale was confused and wondered what this all means… but he didn't have time to think further about it as he now leaves his dreamworld which is enveloped in a massive burst of orange light.

* * *

**Real World; 9:45 P.M**

Gale started to wake up and opens his eyes.. and he can't help but feel a slightly numbing and stinging sensation on the back of his head.. and there's something latched onto him, as if a giant leech is sucking his blood.

The Grimm was aware it's prey was starting to wake up so it decided to go for the kill.. but it was too slow.

"Huzzah!" Gale instantly jolts awake, eyes wide open and alert. By reflex, he swiftly grabs the snout that was still latched to his head, with both of his hands, with a tight and firm grip.

The Grimm lets out a surprised shriek and was forced to let go, as Gale, with his already impressive strength, tosses the Grimm over his shoulder and violently throws it into the ground with a loud thud. So hard that it even cracked it and left a small crater under the Grimm, followed by bouncing off the ground and skidding several feet away on its back.

The Grimm layed on the ground but also kept flailing and shrieking, until it managed to regain its footing and leaps back several feet to gain some distance. It crouched low to the ground and lets out a snarl and a grunt at Gale.

Just as Gale kept his eyes on the unwanted visitor that disturbed his sleep, he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand to make sure the Grimm didn't do anything lethal to him… and saw his own blood smeared all over his right hand… he's slightly bleeding where the Grimm bit him.

Gale turned his aura on which instantly healed his wound to prevent any more bleeding. He turned his attention back to the Grimm as he got a good look at it.

It's the size of a tiger, with a large feline-like body, sharp claws at the tips of it's paws, a long and bushy tail that's tipped with sharp quills like that of a porcupine's, and the head looked like that of an elephant's, with the ears of a tapir.

Protruding from its mouth are a pair of boar tusks that curve back and hanging from it's face is a long, trunk-like, snout that is curled up like how a butterfly curls it's proboscis when not feeding.

Like every other Grimm, it's body is covered in pitch black fur, and has many bone-like spikes and scutes, covering its back, shoulders, hindquarters, and knee joints. It also has a ribcage of bone strewn across it's chest. Much of its head is covered by a plate of bone-like armor that heavily resembles a mask. But the most eye catching features are the red markings that covers it's "mask" and even parts of it's spike shoulders. He notices it has a total of four eyes; two main eyes on the head and a pair of smaller ones found just below the main eyes. Like most Grimm, it's eyes are a mix of burning red and orange that glare at Gale.

The Grimm growled and snorted at the young boy, with a mouth was full of razor sharp teeth and tusks.

But what was the most disturbing thing as it showed another feature that no one wouldn't expected… and wished they hadn't.

It uncurled it's trunk-like snout and showed Gale something that even startled and creeped him out big time.

At the tip of the trunk, one would expect two nostrils which are suppose to be meant for breathing.. but instead… Gale sees rows upon rows of razor sharp, hook-like teeth, that could easily grip and pierce flesh, forming inside the snout, in a ring like pattern. Even the snout has a tongue which is covered in sharp, chisel-like teeth that can even rasp and cut flesh.

In a way, the tip and inside of the snout resembles the mouth and teeth of a lamprey.

"_Alright… that just isn't right…."_ Gale thought out of slight disturbance but remained serious and identified the Grimm.

It's a Baku; a very unique but VERY deadly type of Grimm.

Found in the jungles and dense woodland of Remnant, especially in Sanus, the Baku are very elusive and clever. They usually avoid facing large crowds of people and areas with larger populations, unless accompanied by other Grimm.

Though, even if they are with other Grimm, they usually stay out of sight and prefer to hide behind the lines or in the shadows… doing what they do best.

Normally, the Baku aren't overall impressive or threatening in a direct fight, as they are about as strong as an Ursa….physically at least.

That still doesn't make them any less dangerous. In their own right, as they can use their claws, teeth, even their quilled tail in combat, as they can also use their large size to tackle and pin down weaker huntsman.

While it's not designed to be used as a weapon, the Baku will sometimes use it's razor sharp trunk as a means to grab and snatch any huntsman that's trying to escape or could even use them to snatch and grab a their weapon, in order to disarm them or even break it, by chance.

While they are not that physically powerful and durable, compared to most other kinds of giant and powerful Grimm, the Baku balances that out with a special ability it possesses; a more indirect and passive kind.

The Baku apparently seem to have some kind of ability to indirectly affect people from a distance that makes them tired and lethargic, just by its mere presence alone. Though, the effect varies, based on the age of the Baku, the distance between it and it's target, and how energetic the target is.

But what makes them so dangerous to begin with is that they are extremely intelligent and clever.

When a Grimm starts out young from the pits of oozing darkness they spawn from (though, very few humans of Remnant know the Grimm's ture origins), they are usually very reckless and lack any kind of self preservation, as they just end up biting off more than they can chew; easily getting slaughtered by the more skilled huntsman.

However, the longer a Grimm lives and survives the battles it faces, the more they slowly begin to learn from their experiences and become much smarter and strategic, in addition to also becoming stronger, larger, and growing more bone armor on their bodies for better defense.

The Baku, on the other hand, are already intelligent to begin with, the moment they are spawned out of the pits; already being able to make complex decisions and tactics on the go, while also having a sense of self preservation and caution around who they face; making their chances of getting killed much lower. Not to mention they just keep getting smarter as they get older; Making them very dangerous and hard to deal with, even for a trained and experienced huntsman.

By day, the Baku are usually non-active, preferring to stay out of sight and avoid contact with humans and faunus. However, if enough negativity is sensed nearby, or if they find a lost and lonely human/faunus, they will take their chances and follow them, until they strike them where they least expect it.

At night, they are far more active, where it's much easier for them to prowl through the jungle, harder to be spotted and detected, as they search for any lost and unfortunate human/faunus that decided to sleep outside.

Once they chose their target, they usually stay out of sight and let their sleep inducing presence do it's work, as the victims starts to feel more tired and losing their strength to keep fighting. This is especially dangerous if the Baku is companioned by other Grimm, where it weakens the huntsman/huntress in the middle of a battle, making it harder to fight off a horde of Grimm which makes it easier for other Grimm to go in for the kill.

However, this Grimm has another deadly ability that makes them so dangerous.

When a Baku finds a victim that's asleep, or forces one to sleep against their will by its presence, the Baku performs a rather disturbing act that involves it's tooth lined snout.

The Baku latches it's snout onto the back of the victim's head, like a bloodthirsty leech, slightly digging into the flesh with its teeth and tongue, but not enough to cause a fatal injury. Than it starts sucking out it's victims aura and even some of their blood, weakening them to make it much easier to kill them… but that's not the only thing it sucks out.

The Baku gets a rather disturbing nickname for what they can do; The Dream Suckers.

Yes, a Baku also feeds on people's dreams and nightmares but, they prefer nightmares, as they are filled with lots negativity.

When a Baku is feeding, it induces dreadful and terrifying nightmares into the person's dreams, causing them to feel extremely scared and vulnerable, creating lots of negative energy for the Baku to feast on. In addition, the more a Baku feeds on the nightmares, the stronger and smarter they get, making it a reason why they prefer this strange and disturbing method, rather than outright killing them from the start.

With its sleep inducing presence, nightmare and aura draining snout, the Baku is a Grimm that shouldn't be taken lightly, even in a direct fight.

This Baku that Gale's now dealing with has followed him for much of the day, slowly tiring him out with its sleep inducing presence, until he eventually fell asleep. It seized it's chance and managed to drain some of his aura and even some of his blood, while also feasting on his nightmares that he suffered for a bit… but much to the Baku's shock, the young man suddenly resisted his nightmares and had good dreams, which slowed down the feeding process, giving him enough time to wake up and prevent the Baku weakening him enough for the killing blow.

Gale instantly knew what a Baku is but this is his first time of ever seeing and encountering one directly. He knew what they are capable of, thanks to his grandfather's teachings of how to fight all kinds Grimm and knowing how to deal with the right measures.

"So you're the one that's been following me all day and trying to put me to sleep… quite a cowardly tactic, for a Grimm, since they usually try to slaughter us up close and personal." Gale said to the Grimm with his eyes narrowed.

Gale mentally cursed to himself how he should've known this Baku was following him but it seemed all his stress and loneliness got the better of him… but now he's gonna make that up with a new purpose he found.. after he deals with the Grimm that is in front of him.

"Not to mention you're the one that's been messing with my dreams and made me suffer a terrible nightmare I _did not _enjoy." Gale added in a rather angry and serious tone when he mentioned that but the Baku just growled again at him.

Gale narrowed his eyes again at the Grimm and decides he should just get this over with, since it's obvious this is no time to chit chat, especially to a monster that wants to kill all humans.

"Alright. Since I got a big day tomorrow and planning a future for myself, it's best if I just destroy you so you can't suck anymore innocent dreams out of anyone else again." Gale steps forward, feeling confident he could actually beat it easily, since he managed to take on a troop of Death Howlers, but Gale suddenly feels dizzy and nearly stumbles off balance.

Much of his aura and some of his blood was sucked out. Not to mention he feels a bit drowsy again… it's the Baku's ability doing it's work again.

"_Dammit… seems that bloodsucking bastard managed to suck out some of my aura and blood…. This is gonna be harder than I thought. Not to mention his ability to put you to sleep ain't helping either. I gotta keep my distance."_

That was easier said than done as Gale realizes the cliff they are standing on is no longer and wider than a small backyard… meaning Gale can't keep his distance… either he's gonna have to throw the Grimm off the mountain.. or he's gonna be the one that's falling off.. and he chooses the former.

The dream eater takes notice of Gale's sudden weakness and realizes that it was still able to weaken the human a bit, despite that he slowed down and interrupted it's feeding process.

The Grimm growls even louder and leaps at young boy, bearing it's sharp claws and teeth, as it now decides to take on Gale directly.

Despite feeling tired again, Gale was still focused enough to lay a counter by slightly ducking and grabbing the Grimm from underneath, redirecting it's momentum, and adding his own force behind it.

Gale pivoted his stance and tossed the Baku into the tree he slept against earlier. The Grimm slammed straight through the tree and into the wall of the mountain where it left a small crater. The broken tree snaps and crackles, falling over to the ground with a loud thud.

The Baku gets back up and roars again, this time, sprinting towards Gale and starts swiping it's claws, with an occasional attempt to bite him. Gale tries his best to avoid the claws and teeth, as he leans left and right, sometimes ducking to avoid a high angled bite and jumping to avoid a low angled claw swipe. He also manages to block the paws, which are powerful. Despite holding well, it's getting more tedious with the Grimm's sleeping ability that makes it harder to concentrate and Gale is struggling to keep his eyes open, due to being this close to the Grimm.

The Baku swiftly turns a complete 360 and swings its tail at Gale's face which slightly nicked him, due to the sharp quills. Gale exclaimed in surprise and stumbled back from the unexpected hit. His aura managed to protect him from blood being drawn but that hit still painfully stung.

Gale looks back at the Baku which tries to swipe it's claws at him again, forcing Gale to lean out of the way. This time, Gale catches it's second swipe in his hand counters with a headbutt to the Grimm's own, stunning it long enough for Gale to repeatedly throw several fast jabs towards the Grimm's ribcage which slightly crack and break. The Grimm recovers and tries to bite him again but Gale grabs it by the throat and, with tremendous strength, flips the entire Grimm in the air and slams it very hard into the ground, head first, cracking the ground once more and even causing small rocks to fly into the air.

With the Baku down and dazed, Gale grabs it by the back of the neck with both hands and harshly drags it to the nearby cliffside, not being easy, as even it's ability still works when completely stunned.

"Time for some flying lessons!" With a loud and mighty scream, Gale tosses the Baku off the cliff… watching the Grimm plummet into the jungle… but it's eyes jolt open and glare at him. Suddenly, Gale felt something wrapped around his left arm.. and coiled around his arm is it's trunk. But it doesn't end there as he felt a sharp and stinging pain as the Baku's teeth lined snout latches onto his left shoulder. This time, Gale's aura prevents its teeth and tongue from piercing his flesh but the stinging sensation was still felt.

Before falling, the Baku lashed out it's trunk and managed to grab Gale. If it's gonna fall to the bottom of the mountain, than it's taking Gale with it.

Gale was too slow to properly react or do anything as he felt the whiplash of the Baku's entire weight dragging him off the cliff. Gale barely had time to act as he managed to grab the ledge of the cliff with his right hand…. Hanging on while the Baku dangles and kept it's own grip on Gale.

Gale was gritting his teeth and really trying not to lose his grip … he regretted taking off his Cyclone Gauntlets off and leaving them in his backpack, which would of been very helpful of dealing with this.

He asked himself why he took them off on a night like this when he wore them more often on other nights when asleep… probably due to the stress and frustration that got to him lately which made him didn't feel right and just lazilly took them off… or it had to be the Baku that was partially the reason.

Either way, it doesn't matter as Gale's now fighting for his life against this Grimm that stalked him all day and tried to suck out his nightmares… so Gale's gonna return the favor.

Gale's fingers started to slip and the tip of the ledge started to crumble…. and Gale was getting even more tired…. And he can't use his other arm cause that's where the Baku has its own weight holding it down.

If he keeps this up with this pointless struggle with little options to counter… he will end up falling asleep and the Baku will kill him... so he decides… to let go.

Gale released his grip.

Both human and Grimm fell and tumbled down the side of mountain, painfully slamming and bouncing against the rocky and rough terrain. At the same time, Gale was wrestling and grappling with the Baku, as one big ball of human flesh and corrupted darkness, rolling down the steep slope.

Eventually, the two fell off another ledge and are now falling straight down towards the treetops of the jungle.

It doesn't stop there, as Gale repositions himself until he's on top of the Grimm and starts viciously punching it in the face.

Each blow that landed on the skull/mask rattled and even cracked it.

The dream eating Grimm tried to fight back by swiping one of it's claws but the angle it's at and Gale wailing on it prevented a proper counter. It even tried to uncurl it's trunk and tried to bite him but Gale grabbed the snout near the tip and preventing the same thing it did to him earlier, as he goes back to punching the Grimm in the face again.

The skirmish stopped, once the two fell into the jungle; falling against and breaking many of the several branches on the trees which actually slowed down their fall but it was a pretty bumpy ride.

As they fell further down, the branches started to get thicker and got more painful to break through them. Until they hit a very thick branches that didn't break which caused both human and Grimm to painfully bounce off of it.. and bounced off another branch.. and another.. and another… until they bounced off the last branch and fell about 100 feet. Several seconds later, both slammed against the ground with a loud thud and shook up a cloud of dust.

Gale groaned in pain of taking such a long and hard fall. And now he feels his aura's almost at its limit….

"Man.. so gonna feel that tomorrow.. If I ever do see tomorrow…" He painfully said, as he was also panting heavily.

Normally, Gale has taken much higher falls and impacts that he even laughed them off like they're nothing.. It's just that he's fighting a Grimm and much of his aura and blood was already drained from the start.

Just as Gale got back on his feet and stood in his self made crater, he heard the annoyed growls nearby…

"Oh right… forgot about you. Still got a score to settle between us, eh?".

Gale turns around and sees the Baku getting back on it's own feet, standing over its own crater it made from it's fall. The Grimm's mask was heavily cracked and damaged, as it looked like it's reaching its limit too, despite not panting or looking tired, since Grimm don't get tired in the natural sense.

It turned towards Gale and looked really pissed off.

Due to its massive intelligence and semi-sapience, the Baku is aware enough to be taking this personally, as it wants to rip Gale to ribbons, suck out every last drop of his aura and blood, and leave him as nothing but an empty and dried husk.

"Alright, you jumbled looking piece of sewage… time to send you back to the deepest bowels from whence you came.." Gale understood this Grimm's anticipation as he gets in his fighting stance… and does a "bring it" gesture with his hand.

The Grimm roars again and charges forward. Gale responds as he charges forward as well with his own roar.

Gale throws forward a punch while the Grimm throws forward one of it's paws.

Both fist and paw clash and creates a decently large shockwave that blew back the dust and heavily rustled the ferns and bushes. However, this one was far smaller than his clash with the Beringels.

Both Gale and the Baku skidded back from the shockwave and glare at each other again.

The Baku decides to use another trick that almost catches Gale off guard.

The Grimm raises its tail and its quills stiffen in place. Gale raised an eyebrow for a second but quickly widened his eyes and realized what that means.

The dream eating Grimm violently flicks it's entire tail in Gale's direction, sending its own quills flying at him, as arrow-like projectiles and moving as fast as bullets shot out of an advanced sniper rifle.

Gale barely managed to maneuver around the quills, as many whizzed past him, with only a few that grazed his face and chest. The quills were embedded into the trees, easily piercing through the wood… and some even managed to pierce through solid rock that were the cliffside of the mountain.

The Baku repeats it's ranged attack by launching another volley, causing Gale to run and leap to the side with more quills embedded into the cliffside.

As he kept running, Gale quickly grabs a fist sized rock and plans to use it as a projectile. After dodging another volley of quills, he violently throws it at the Baku but the Grimm easily leaps out of the way. The rock smashes into a nearby tree and leaves a large hole in it that you can see through it entirely.

Now the Grimm gives chase and keeps flicking more quills that either impaled the ground, the trees, or the cliffside of the mountain. Gale, picks up more rocks he runs across and throws them with impressive accuracy and power but they don't hit it's mark and also end up hitting either the ground, trees, or nearby boulders which partially shatter from the impact.

Now it's a game of dodgeball, as neither managed to land the first hit in this squabble.

After 30 seconds of neither getting a hit… Gale managed to dodge several quills by twirling in midair.. and used that building momentum of that spin to throw a rock much harder than ever… hitting the Baku right in the face, which also shattered the rock to tiny pebbles. The Grimm shrieks from the impact and being caught off guard, but didn't falter and kept running at a steady pace with Gale.

Much of it's mask was even more cracked and it's right tusk was broken off. A piece of it's mask falls off like broken glass, showing part of its face hidden under the mask.

The Baku growls even deeper; now it's really getting pissed off with this human who just won't go down.

The dream eater darts it's eyes to the direction where Gale was running towards… and it spots a large, low hanging branch.

The clever Grimm has an idea; it launches it's last set of quills at the branch, easily tearing threw it and causing the branch to fall right above Gale.

The teen saw a large branch falling just above him and he reacts by instinct to punch upward which shatters the large branch in half.

That leaves him wide open.

Gale couldn't react as the Baku sprints like a cheetah, at full speed, and launches a powerful swipe which actually hit Gale with so much force that it launched him into the cliffside of the mountain, with a loud crash and dust flies everywhere. Gale is seen indented to it but pries himself off.. and his aura shatters seconds after.

Gale gasps in slight shock and even fear that he's now vulnerable.

The Baku leaps forward again and performs a downward slash but Gale rolls out of the way as deep claw marks were left in the stone where Gale stood half a second ago.

But this time.. Gale was too slow and the Baku turns around and tackles him to the ground, skidding across the dirt and leaving behind an entrail of upturned dirt.

The Grimm pinned Gale down with it's mighty paw, even slightly digging into his skin with it's claws, making sure he won't make escape.

Than it uncurls its trunk again….

"Crap!" Gale quickly grabs the Baku by the throat with his right hand and holds it back… and quickly snatches the trunk with his left hand, just by the tip, as it tried to bite into his face.

Now Gale's in a major struggle for his life, as he keeps the snapping snout from biting into his face and also holding the Grimm itself from going for his neck… heck, the snout is mere inches from his face that he gets a good look at the teeth and tongue of the Grimm… he can even see small traces of his own blood stained on the teeth...

Worse… Gale is slowly losing the battle because the Baku's sleep inducing effects are taking effect once more.

"Dammit!" Gale cursed as he realizes he's losing his strength and he's gonna be getting an entire row of razor sharp sets of teeth chomping down on his face.

"_Stay awake! STAY AWAKE!" _Gale mentally shouted, trying to stay fully awake to stay alive.

He started to panic and his mind was racing into overdrive and felt his adrenaline kicking to the max; He's pinned down, both of his arms are trying to hold the Grimm back from either biting his jugular or sucking the rest of his blood from his face.. And he's starting to fall asleep…the only thing keeping him from falling asleep is his adrenaline boost and sheer determination to live.

"_What do I do… What do I do?!" _Gale panicked and his eyes darted around for any possible chance to turn the tide….

Than.. he sees something that's nearly a foot away from him; a flat rock with a sharp and pointy edge.

Gale was a bit relieved but he can't grab it when both of his hands that are occupied… unless… Gale felt a slight bit of dread as he realized what he has to do… in order to gain the advantage… he's gonna have to bite the bullet…

"_This is gonna hurt so bad… but it's better than being a dried and shriveled up corpse…." _Gale thought in woe as he has to do what he must, if he wants to survive this…

With what little strength he has left… Gale forces the snout to a different spot… right on the left side of his abdomen… and lets go.

The tip of the snout latches onto Gale's torso, like a leech. This time, with no aura shielding it, the teeth instantly dig into the flesh and the tongue starts rasping…

The first thing Gale felt was perhaps the most painful thing he has ever felt in his life.

The young boy grits his teeth so hard that they nearly break and his pupils shrink to near pin pricks.. he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs…. but he endures the agonizing pain and reaches for the rock.

Once he grabs the rock, with all his might, he thrusts it right into the Grimm's right eye.

The Baku was so focused on trying to kill Gale.. it didn't notice the rock until it was too late.

Gale loudly screams and forcefully stabs the rock right into the Baku's right eye…

The Grimm lets out a loud and agonizing roar, as it backs off and releases Gale under its paw but it's snout stays latched on. Black ooze seeps from the wound, as the Grimm thrashes and stumbles around.

Gale now seizes his chance; He instantly jumps to his feet and does a mighty double fisted hammer blow on the Grimm's head which impacted so hard that the Grimm's head instantly smashes into the ground.

Gale than seizes his next chance by slamming his foot on it's neck, pinning down and preventing it from standing back up.

Than he stands directly behind and on top of the Baku and grabs it by the snout, in a tight and firm grip.. and he begins to pull with all his might.

The Baku starts screeching even louder, as it's head and neck was being forcibly bent back that it could easily get its neck snapped in two, by the force of Gale's sheer strength. The Grimm tried to fight back and break free but Gale had it pinned down under his foot, no way is he gonna let it get away.

"Nice try but you ain't escaping!" Gale shouted as he tugged harder.

After several more seconds of Gale forcefully tugging on the snout… it reached its limit... and was instantly torn off...

Black ooze sprayed across the battlefield and stained the nearby grasses and ferns.

The Baku let out the loudest and most agonizing shriek that it echoed across much of the jungle. Black ooze gushed out of the gaping wound where it's snout used to be; actually, the snout is still latched onto Gale's torso but he doesn't even care and focuses on the Grimm that is now beaten.

"Not so tough now, are ya, huh? Welp, this is what you get for messing with somebody's dreams so call this a little payback."

The Grimm glares at Gale with its remaining eye and tries to get back up but Gale still has it under his foot that he even stomps on it to keep it down

"Well, since I settled the score… I think it's time this is where we part ways; where I'll be the one that's gonna see the rising sun that's tomorrow, while you are the one that's gonna crumble to ashes and dust.

The Baku growls in spite at him. Even in defeat, the Grimm continues to glare into Gale's soul with murderous intent.

"I better make it best if I start doing that one thing you do in those violent fighting games… what was it…? Oh right! The one where you perform an epic finishing move called a "Fatality" on your defeated opponent!" Gale announced as he grabs the Baku by the head and begins to forcefully twist it.

The Baku starts to struggle again but Gale still persists and keeps twisting.

In the middle of performing his finishing move, Gale decides to add a rousing speech; once proudly said by his grandfather, as Gale feels like presenting it at a time like this.

"Creatures of Grimm!" Gale shouts at the top of his lungs, as if he's giving every Grimm in Remnant a message that's also a warning. "You will never prevail nor eradicate the towering might and the infinite wisdom that is Humanity and the Faunus! We will be the ones that will win this war, wipe you off the face of this planet, and live to see the shining beacon of the future in harmony!" He twists the head of the Grimm even harder.

_Crick_.

The Baku's resistance was futile, as it's neck started to contort at an odd angle, as snapping and cracking was heard.

"I… Am Gale Hathi!"

_CRACK_.

The Baku keeps screeching but less so, as it's eyes dart around in desperation and no way for it to break loose.

"Proud student and loving grandson of the mighty and wise Ganee Hathi!"

_SNAP_!

The Grimm begins to struggle less, as it's entire head was twisted even further that it should be dead by now.

"Future student of Beacon Academy and Huntsman of Remnant!"

_CRICK! CRACK! SNAP!_

Now the Baku's head was nearly torn off that it can no longer shriek but it's still aware of what's happening to itself.

"And… last but not least…. I will never again fight alone… but with others that I will cherish and be by their side… like a team... like a family….

The Baku had its remaining eye facing Gale and still glares at him, who glares back with no signs of fear… and he makes one last twist and pull; the hardest he's ever done.

"Now tremble and be crushed… by the imposing might…** OF THE ELEPHANT!" **

_**RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPP**_!

With one last and mighty yank, Gale finally rips the entire head of the Grimm's shoulders. So hard that he lost his footing and fell off the Baku's body and fell to the ground.

A fountain of black ooze erupts from the Baku's headless corpse, like a fountain, which sprays everywhere, while the torn head tumbles in midair.

Seconds later, the head finally hits the ground and rolls away a bit.. until it stopped rolling and lays still. The headless corpse collapses, shortly after, with a decently audible thud.

The Baku has been slain.

Gale was laying on his side and breathing heavily but slowly calms down and takes a breather, as the adrenaline boost wears off.

He watched in silence, as the head and body of the slain Grimm crumble to ashes which get blown away in the wind. Shortly after, the trunk, that's still latched to his abdomen, also turns to dust.

Once the snout fully disappeared, all Gale now sees on his abdomen is a badly inflicted wound, with rings of teeth marks and an especially bleeding wound where the tongue really went to town on. It's not lethal, but still bleeding out pretty bad… it will likely become a scar that Gale will carry for the rest of his life.

With his adrenaline boost finally wearing off, Gale finally catches his breath and calms down

He stands still for several more minutes; his mind going through every moment of the fight that lasted from start to finish… but, he couldn't help but feel like he was very lucky of breaking out of being pinned down, since he found that rock right next to him conveniently… he wonders if there was any other way he could've fought his way out of that one without using that rock.

Gale now feels slightly guilty and frustrated that he came so close to being killed without his weapon and couldn't use his semblance either… but still, taking on a Grimm, without the aid of a weapon or a semblance, while having nearly half of your aura and blood drained, is still quite an impressive feat and he even felt slightly proud at that.

Either way, what has been done is done, as Gale can't ponder any further since he won and he'll be living to see the rising sun in the morning.

Gale sighs at this sudden and chaotic event,… and walks back towards the mountain. That's where he left his backpack and that is where he intended to sleep for the night so that is where he's going, even if he has to climb all the way back up there.

Once Gale got to the mountain, he started to climb… and he's got a VERY long way to go, as the top easily towers over the six hundred foot tall skyscraper trees.

It wasn't easy climbing up back to the top, due to his injuries and his aura that's still shattered which will take a while to recharge. Gale stayed determined and kept climbing; he's used to climbing these mountains so he's taking his time and stays calm. He even reruns the same path he took to get up this mountain earlier.

For one second, Gale almost slipped and lost his footing but quickly recovered and grabbed a firm ledge to stay on. He sighs in relief again and continues climbing.

Once he reached the top, Gale managed to climb right back to where he slept and his battle with the Baku began. His backpack is still there so that's a relief could've been worse if it wasn't there.

Gale limps over to his backpack, unzips it, and digs in to find what he needs. He pulls out several bandage wraps, a bottle of alcohol to ease the pain and to prevent an infection, and a small canister of healing dust. He slightly winces from the stinging pain but calms down as the alcohol did it's job of keeping the wound clean than sprinkles the healing dust to heal his wounds a little faster. He than wraps it up, along with his other minor injuries, in bandages to heal. Now he just need some sleep and his aura will reactivate and heal his wounds much more quickly.

He leans back against the broken tree, As Gale watches the shattered moon shine overhead. He puts his Cyclone Gauntlets back on for extra precaution, this time.

Just as he was about to sleep.. Gale wonders what he saw in his dream when he saw Beacon Academy... those two figures; that bull faunus and that human girl. For some reason, they seemed special and important as they were the closest to him and he saw a little more features from them, before waking up. Now Gale isn't sure what that all means but he's gonna keep that in mind when he gets to Beacon.

After a few more minutes of silence, Gale falls back asleep again to heal his wounds and to replenish his aura.

* * *

**Morning; 7:25 A.M**

The sun was already rising into the but still a little early, as the sky was still reddish-orange.

On top of another mountain, we see the temple that Gale was raised in, still standing tall and proud. But no one has used or lived it for many years.

It was deathly quiet, as the wind gently blew.

But the silence ended when footsteps were heard and someone appeared to have reached the top and set foot on the grounds his former home.

It's Gale.

He appears to be carrying a bouquet of yellow and lilac flowers that are wrapped up in fresh tree leafs, holding them gently in his arms, as he walks into his home that he hasn't visited for so long.

He no longer has his bandages on, since his aura eventually reactivated in his sleep and healed him up quickly… but all is left is that nasty scar the Baku gave him.

He walks through the courtyard… memories flash before him as this was one of his favorite places liked to play in his free time, by himself or with his grandfather…

Gale decided to enter his home, that looks like a small palace… one last time…

He slowly opens the doors… and looks at the empty and silent entrance that leads to the living room and dining room. He walks further in and enters the living room….

He sees the couch and the nearby advanced tv set where it makes a holographic screen.. That is where he watched lots of good movies and played lots of video games… with his grandfather…

He walks past the training room and peers into it… where he sees all the equipment; old and new, old fashioned and modern. This was the place where he trained… with his grandfather…

In the kitchen.. he sees the rather old fashioned kitchen sets where food is made the old fashioned way, and the dinner table… that was where he ate… with his grandfather.

After looking around and checking out his old home for the last time… he heads to one more room of the temple… his room.

After walking through the hallway… Gale now stands in front of the door that leads to his room…

He slowly reaches his hand out to the doorknob, gently grips it, and slowly turns it.

Once the door opened, Gale quietly walks inside and looks into his old room; it looks just like how he left it when he decided to live in the jungles…

The room was a standard looking room designed for a young teen boy; with a decently sized bed, several shelves, a few cabinets where he used to keep his clothes, and even a mirror on his wall.

He also has tons of accessories and personal items he kept; several action figures, comic books and manga, old school video games, a lava lamp, several posters of badass huntsman he looked up to, and even a world globe that shows the whole map of Remnant.

Gale looked around and started feeling a little nostalgic, as he stepped further into his room… than he felt his foot step on something that also made a squeaky sound.

He looks down… and under his foot… is a stuffed plush elephant, wearing a conical hat and a frilled collar. It even had oversized ears that were each as big as it's entire body.

It's his old stuffed elephant that his grandfather has given him when he was a child… the very toy and stuffed elephant he used to sleep with.

With the bouquet of flowers in his left hand, he slowly bends down and picks up the plush elephant with his right hand.

With the plush in his hand, Gale instantly remember cuddling the plush that gave him comfort and security when he was a small child…. even now, the plush makes him feel a bit secure and safe.

Gale slowly walks over to his bed… and takes a seat in it, while holding the stuffed elephant and gently placing the flowers next to him.

Gale sits in silence and looks around his room, while holding his stuffed elephant... such good times. He's been through a lot and now he's looking forward to his new future where he won't be alone and may have new people and friends by his side and sharing their happiness with his….

Gale almost closed his eyes and wanted to take a little nap but he kept them open and slowly smiled again….

After a few more minutes of sitting in his old room, Gale decides it's time to leave now. He's seen enough and needs to get something done….

Before he leaves his room, he gently places his stuffed elephant on his bed and against his old pillow, instead of leaving it on the floor.

He slowly walks towards the and exits it, right before closing it shut.

As he exits the temple, he continues up another set of stairs that leads to the top of the mountain.

Once he reached the highest point, which he can now see the rising sun over the horizon… right in the middle of it… is a tree; and just in front of it… is a tombstone.

Gale slowly walks towards it and sees an engraved symbol on the top that takes the shape of elephant's head that looks proud and mighty.

Under the symbol is an epitaph… that Gale engraved there himself.

**GANEE HATHI**

**A KIND AND HONORABLE WARRIOR**

**AN EXCELLENT TEACHER**

**A LOVING GRANDFATHER**

The last one… made Gale almost shed a tear….

**AS GRACEFUL AS I AM WISE, MY BELIEFS HAVE NO BOUNDS**

Gale stared in silence of his grandfather's grave and wanted to say something to him… for some reason, he wanted the silence to last a little longer.

For quite a while lately, he's been thinking about his encounter with grandfather in his dreams and how he interacted with him…. Gale can't help but feel that encounter with his grandfather ain't some coincidence.

A small part of him actually believes that might of been his actual grandfather talking and watching over him... but he isn't sure either if that's true but, even if it isn't, it doesn't stop him from believing it to being possible.

Either way… Gale is happy to be here and to see his grandfather again that he hasn't for so long…. his grandfather's grave, that is….

After several more minutes of staring at his grandfather's grave stone, Gale kneeled down and gently places the flowers right in front of the grave stone and pulls out the blue feather with the orange tip which he also places in front of the tombstone.

Gale stays kneeled for another few minutes… and finally found the courage to speak.

"Hey Grandpa…." Gale said in a very calm and sincere tone, as he continues to look at his grandfather with somber eyes… "Been quite some time since I've last been here…."

Several more seconds of silence.

"Sorry I've haven't been around here much… since that day." He continued as he swallowed a bit.

"I just wanted to- okay, no point beating around the bush." Gale muttered and gets on with it.

"All this time, I was really scared and alone, because I had to fend for myself and tried to help anyone I could to possibly connect with, to not let my loneliness drive me much deeper into what I already was…. so I've decided I'm moving on to find my purpose and happiness beyond Vacuo… and I think Beacon Academy is the place that is calling to me." He softly says as he smiled a bit more.

"Though… I ain't sure if it was me or you that helped me get through this last night…" Before he could finish, Gale slightly frowned. "Look… I don't know if it was deja vu or just some mundane coincidence; whenever if it was really you or just a part of my consciousness that took the form of you." He continued.

"Even if it wasn't truly you, it still felt like you down to the very soul. Either way... I want thank you for helping me to overcome my doubts." He added, as he smiled again.

"So now… I'm gonna go to Vale, train to become a huntsman, form an awesome team… and…" The teenager couldn't help but blush, as his face turned a little red. "...maybe even raise a family…. If I ever do find that one person that fits for me…." He couldn't help but chuckle at that last part.

"And lastly… I do believe that you are watching over me, even if you aren't. I believe this is where we part ways… I can't help but consider not to say goodbye to you… If I don't say it, than I'm not gone… I'm just not here right now… but I'll someday try to come back if given the chance." After he finished his proposal, the orangette stayed quiet and decided to say one last thing.

"I must go now… I promise I'll find my new happiness and purpose." Gale tried to wipe his face from any tears from being shed until he let out a whisper that was very faint.

"Love you, Grandpa... Thank you for everything…." Gale finished, as he slowly got up and walked away and towards the stairs.

Just as he reached the edge, he stopped and turned over his shoulder to see his grandpa one last time… than he descends down the stairs.

Just as Gale was out of sight, a gust of wind blows by as leaves of the tree rustle and the feather briefly blows around a bit but stays in front of the tombstone.

* * *

**1 Hour Later.**

Gale was seen walking through the jungle, with his backpack back on and heading west. He's preparing to leave but he needs to gather a few things on his journey.

Suddenly, Gale felt the ground slightly shake and heard a few trees, in the distance, creaking and snapping.

He was on guard and faced the possible incoming threat.

But as the giant creature got closer, Gale slowly calmed down as he got a better look at it; a Sanus Elephant.

But when it stomped closer, Gale couldn't help be be surprised that it's covered in lots of scratches.. and appears to be missing it's left eye.

It's the young bull.. and Gale is right in its path.

Over night, the young bull's aura returned and managed to patch up his wounds really quickly but now all he has are his scars and his missing left eye in which his left eyelid is shut tight.

Despite the imposing height and size of the massive elephant, Gale doesn't look scared or intimidated by it. In fact, he looks on to it as if he's respecting.

The young bull stops in its tracks and notices the teenage human in front of him. He looks down and inspects Gale… his instincts don't sense any threat or ill intent coming from him… in fact, the young bull notices the scar on Gale's abdomen which still looks fresh.

Gale notices all the scratches and bites marks, but especially the nasty wound where the young bull's eye used to be…

Both stared into each other's eyes, in the young bull's case, his right eye… so much that their respective reflections were seen off of each other's eyes, as they understood what they've been through.

They've been in a fight for their own survival and barely made it out alive.

After a few more seconds of silence, Gale moved aside a bit and continue walking forward while the young bull continues on his own path as well.

The two silently pass each other without interfering one another, out of respect.

Gale heads West while the young bull heads East, in opposite directions from each other.

* * *

**1 Week Later; Eastern side of the Sanus Jungle.**

On the eastern side of the jungle, the young bull is seen walking through the jungle and still on his own… he wonders if he'll ever find some company.

Than… he hears a trumpeting roar in the distance.

The bull stopped in his tracks and flapped his ears… is that the roar of another Sanus Elephant?

The young bull lets out his own trumpeting roar which echoes across the jungle and waits for a reply… and it does.

He hears it again and starts to follow that direction which gets louder; he's heading in the right path towards it.

The young bull finds a wide clearing where there's less also finds a pool, with plenty of water to drink and bath in, covered in thick water vegetation.

The young bull looks around.. But then sees three large figures nearby in the pool. He steps closer to them and got a better look at them; Three young Sanus Elephant bulls, formed in a bachelor herd.

They all varied in sizes and traits; the largest one had a few scars on his abdomen and the longest tusks (but not as long as the scarred young bull). The second one was the second largest and had average sized tusks. The third was the smallest and had the shortests tusks.

They were busily cooling themselves off from the heat and one the smallest was even having fun by splashing around in the water and spraying water from his trunk like a garden hose.

The young bull trumpets again, gaining their attention as they turned towards him.

The three other young bulls stared at this new young bull before them. They even notice his scars across his body and his missing eye.

At first, the other three young bulls were silent for a few seconds, until the biggest one, that's leading the small bachelor herd, walks forward and looks at this new young bull before him.

Though, despite being the biggest of the small herd, the leader is slightly shorter than the scarred young bull who greets him with his trunk.

The two young bulls touch with their trunks that's almost like a handshake and the leader of the small herd instantly invites the young bull into the herd which the scarred young bull accepts.

The leader of the bachelor herd goes back into the water with the scarred young bull following and he ends up running and splashing into the water, with great enthusiasm.

He finally found a new herd to be with and a place to call home.

However… hiding within the nearby treetops is none other than Leader, the former leader of the pack of Sabre Fangs that attacked the young bull. For now, he's no threat but he intends on keeping an eye on the young bull.. While he's busily eating his kill which is a horse sized anteater that he ambushed and killed, when it was busily feasting on a termites in a termite mound.

* * *

**At the same time; Western edge of the Sanus Jungle that borders to the savanna.**

In this area, on the western side of the jungle's edge, where the trees get smaller and more spread out, as it gets drier and less tropical.

Gale is seen exiting from the dense brush and stops right at the edge of it. In fact, this is the same area he once exited a few years back when he wanted to visit Vacuo and now he's going there for a reason.

Attached to his backpack is a large sack of all kinds of fruits and vegetables he managed to gather, before leaving, and plenty of large water bottles for the trip. He's planned ahead and now he's gonna travel across the grasslands and deserts until he reaches the capital and find any transportation to get him to Vale. If he runs out, he'll use his skills to forage for other kinds of food, even meat, if he has to.

He lets out a deep but relieving sigh and looks back at the jungle again. He doesn't know how long he'll be gone but, maybe someday, he'll drop by and see his grandpa again on top of that mountain; maybe even remodel the old temple into his own home someday too.

turns back as he looks out and sees the horizon over the wide open grassland with some scattered trees dotted across it. That direction is where Shade Academy is and that's where he's gonna find whatever transportation he can afford.

He checked his credit card that he keeps in his wallet… which has enough savings and lien that can last for several years… yep, this was his grandfather's entire allowance and income that was given to him after his passing he left for Gale. As much money as he got that he could spend on everything… he chooses to spend on what's necessary, but he would probably spend on other things too, in moderation. He also looked at his scroll, making sure its working and still has those photos of the statues and the mysterious symbol he found in the underground temple. They might mean something so he's gonna hold onto them for now.

Lastly, before he came here, he went to every village he could reach and told them he's gonna go to Vale. When they heard that announcement, they all felt proud of him and some even celebrated with him. They all bidded him farewell and even gave him some of their food and water, in addition to his own he gathered.

Despite telling them in concern of his absence that they might be attacked by the Grimm, they told him he doesn't have to worry about their safety because, not only did he slay the Alpha Beringel, they assured him major grimm attacks will happen less likely, if they stay calm and positive, and they are also more than capable of defending themselves with their fortresses and walls that surround their villages.

With all that checked and secure, Gale looked back out at the horizon.

This is it. He's finally leaving for real, gonna go take on the world, and see what's out there and see if there is a team of other people that will treat him as a companion and a friend.

He's gonna find his purpose and happiness.

With that all said and done, Gale starts walking forward and begins his true journey of Remnant; and his first destination is Vale and Beacon Academy.

As the happy teen walks on, above him, are lots of clouds that cover the sky and even blocking the sun. But a few gaps in the clouds allowed some rays of sunshine to shine through.. And within those clouds is a silhouette of Gale's grandfather who smiles, feeling proud, and watching Gale move on as the sun rays shine overhead.

* * *

On this day, a young bull elephant has found his companions.. while a young human will soon find his own...

* * *

The scenery now fades to black once again, as the image of the four young teenagers appear again. Only Adam and Nigel in full detail, while the other two remain as silhouettes.

The image ripples once again; now showing Gale in his full glory.

He's holding his right fist in his left palm, wearing his turquoise colored Cyclone Gauntlets that are in their inactive mode which look like bracelets. He's giving a genuine smile, his turquoise colored eyes are wide open, so full of life and confidence, looking ready to rumble and throw down.

The fourth and last silhouette remains the same… as he awaits his moment to shine... the last member of ANGR will be revealed soon.

**Gale Hathi**

* * *

**And that's the third trailer. One more to go.**

**Holy crap.. This has to be the longest chapter I've ever made.. And this is just a trailer for one of my OCs!**

**More will be revealed about Gale's past, along with the other three, including Adam, in the future.**

**Also, the many species of animals living in the jungles are taking place in Remnant are a little based on the real world jungles. The Sanus jungles is mix between the Amazon Rainforest and the jungles of both Africa and Asia. Since Remnant is a different planet, the species of animals coexisting here are justifiable.**

**As for the city, got a little bit of ancient Mayan inspiration as well.**

**Welp. Tune in next time for the fourth and last trailer and we'll head to the real story.**


	4. The Green Roadrunner

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.**

**The OCs belong to me.**

**Team ANGR**

**Trailer; The Green Roadrunner**

* * *

_**Every action and decision brings many possible outcomes, whenever for the better or for the worse. There are some decisions that are willing to be made for the better, even at the cost of something and the exchange for another.**_

* * *

**Mistral; Kuchinashi**

Mistral; Another kingdom of Remnant.

As one of the four kingdoms, found on the second largest continent of the planet, Anima. It too has several academies that are made to train young teenagers into skilled and powerful huntsman of Remnant.

Anima is well known for being an environmentally diverse and beautiful continent; with temperate deciduous and coniferous forests, marshy swamp lands, snowy mountains and tundra, and wind carved cliff sides. It's quite a diverse biosphere to have all kinds of lifestyles and places to live, regardless of the dangers of the Grimm.

In the upper center of the continent is a massive lake called Lake Matsu; Stretching around 900 kilometers in diameter, it's the largest lake in all of Remnant. But the most interesting thing about the massive lake are the floating islands that hover over the massive body of water, due to the massive quantities of Gravity Dust that are part of the islands that have lifted them above the lake at hundreds of meters above. Some rocks are so large they are even able to have grass and trees grow on them, making them habitable breeding grounds for birds to live in… but unfortunately, most of those islands are occupied by flying Grimm, especially Lancers, Griffons, and Nevermores. There are even some legends of massive kaiju sized Grimm that are hiding within the lake. Another problem with Lake Matsu is that the high amount of Gravity Dust within those floating islands also causes turbulence in the flying ships.

The hazards and Grimm within Lake Matsu are so dangerous that even small airships run the risk of being ambushed and destroyed by the Grimm which has made Lake Matsu a rather hazardous location that's not worth the risk of visiting, unless you own a heavily armed to the teeth airship with the defenses needed to fend off the Grimm.

Like the other kingdoms, it's history is written in stone when Mistral was on the side with Atlas that was at war with Vale and Vacuo. For those who should remember how a war ends, one must also remember how it also started; a lesson to learn from the past and prevent it from happening again.

During the earlier days, early inhabitants of Mistral have built their homes on the cliff sides (which still exist today) to avoid the Grimm. Over time, their society soon expanded across the continent, Making Mistral having the most controlled territory, of all the four kingdoms, even to this day.

They adapted and built many different styles of living across the rest of Anima and thrived, including learning and adopting the lifestyles of living in the colder climates further north of Anima that Atlas also endures.

The continent eventually became a kingdom, ruled by their emperor. Here, Mistral has become well known for its sense of fashion, theater, architecture, and art, even in the current days of Remnant.

They didn't stop there, as they also started trading Dust and technological innovation from Mantle, in return, for goods and resources that Mantle is unable to produce in their arctic homeland; making the two kingdoms becomeing strong allies and trading partners.

One problem though; The emperor of Mistral was willing to follow the same example of Mantle by abolishing their arts and traditions of self expression, in the way of keeping their citizens emotions in check to prevent the Grimm from being attracted to their negative emotions, just so they can keep their partnership stable. While the higher ranked citizens and the emperor himself gets to keep their traditions, the lower classes and peasants are forced to abolish their own and keep their emotions in check. Not to mention Mistral also practices slavery on humans and faunus alike.

Though, the neighboring continent of Sanus did not approve of Mistral and Mantle's new law but remained neutral.

Despite this, Mistral started spreading out and trying to make their settlements on the islands and peninsulas on Wester Sanus. The kingdom of Vale did not take kindly to this and pleaded to their king to do something. But the king remained neutral and wanted to avoid conflict.

Sadly, it didn't last long, as the conflict further intensified into the Great War.

When the kingdom of Vale spread out their settlements as well, they encountered the settlements of Mistral. Now it's still not known who shot first or started the conflict but that day on Western Sanus started the Great War that lasted for so long.

As said before, the King of Vale eventually ended the war in Vacuo and peace among the four kingdoms prospered. However, it came at the cost of so much blood being shed.

Now with peace at hand that's been going for the past 80 years, things have gotten better. Mistral was able to reclaim its glory to its culture of self-expression and arts,, along with freedom returned once more and slavery abolished.. but there are still some some hidden activity where slavery and sweat shops are still practiced illegally.

But despite it's prosperity and development for the kingdom and its citizens, and improving its relationship with the rest of the kingdoms, Mistral still suffers some of its problems.

While the kingdom tolerates the faunus much better than the likes of Atlas and what it was in the past, it's not uncommon to see some intolerance and violence between humans and faunus. There are even some restaurants and other businesses that refuse to have faunus as their customers or employees. Regardless, most businesses are more than welcome to have faunus as their customers and employees, and some even become owners of some businesses.

Grimm attacks are still common, especially in smaller villages that have smaller defenses and being out in the wilderness, away from major cities. Worst, some villages that were in development, such as Oniyuri, were abandoned due to the constant Grimm attacks and left to become ghost towns, a reminder how hard it is to make settlements outside the kingdom and a dreadful warning that the Grimm most territories outside the kingdoms… There are even scary rumors there is a rather powerful and terrifying Grimm patrolling the wilderness of Anima and destroys any nearby village that are very vulnerable. Some claim the Grimm looked like a devilish rider, riding it's demonic horse, almost like it's a Grimm Reaper that has come to bring to bring it's victims to their demise.

Worst of all, not more than a decade ago, that Grimm invaded and decimated a well known and flourished village called as Kuroyuri… and nobody survived. However, there have been rumors two young children have barely escaped it and the village's destruction but no one knows where they went or where they are currently... or even if they are still alive.

The well known cities that are still standing to this day are Mistral, Wind Path, Kuchinashi, Higanbana, and even Argus that's located in the far north.

Another challenge Mistral is facing is within its own kingdom; the black market and many criminals thriving in them.

Like the cities in the deserts of Menagerie, such as Bardus, Mistral's own cities are also filled with criminals and bounty hunters that hide in the shadows of the more run down and lower classes that are the slums. Arguably, it's the biggest black market of Remnant and, even outshining the ones in the deserts of Menagerie, when it comes to the black market type of deals. The reason for so many thieves and other kinds of scum being here is because of how far the cities are spread out across the continent and Mistral's government is doing its best to keep their law in order but that's easier said than done in the long run.

With all kinds of trade dealers, thieves, and bounty hunters thriving in the bigger cities of Anima, one has to watch their back and not end up as an unfortunate victim.

Here, the current location, taking place in Anima and Southwest from Mistral itself, is none other than Kuchinashi.

Located on a decently large mountain, that's also connected to some foothills that are further down said mountain, it's basically a slightly smaller and less advanced version of the Mistral's capital city that also has its own academy, Haven Academy.

One would notice it looks vastly similar to Mistral that some people have even nicknamed Kuchinashi as "Mistral's Twin City".

Only difference was that it lacked an academy and it has a little less security and authority to keep the city in check, especially in the far lower parts.

Like Mistral and most cities in Anima, Kuchinashi has multiple levels that layer from top to bottom. It's oriental styled theme to its architecture gives it an appealing and beautiful look to many of its citizens and tourists that both live in and visit the city, respectively.

Planted in nearly every corner of the upper levels are several cherry blossom trees that are fully blooming and their petals gently drifting in the wind. There are also many parks, gardens, spas, art galleries, and even fancy restaurants that serve delicious food at the right price.

At the highest and at the peak of the mountain, that is where the richest and most wealthy thrive; multiple five star restaurants, the best art galleries with priceless pieces of art, the best spa baths that only the richest could afford without even denting their wallets, and the best gardens that span several acres. There are also several fashion shops of the finest clothes made from the smoothest silk with some even layered with Dust.

There are plenty of four star restaurants and hot springs further down the lower sections but none compare to the finest ones at the peak.

In the middle of the mountain, that makes up the majority of it, lies a larger section of the city that's located between the top rich and the bottom poor. It even makes up sixty percent of the entire city. The area is just right; not too fancy and uptight but not too run down and miserable either. It's pretty much a good place for most visitors to either rent or live in with proper pay and luxury. Several oriental styled buildings are lined on both sides of well made dirt roads that lead to several different parts of the city. Further in the alleys are cobblestone pathways that make up every corner further in the city that's off the road, along with all kinds of fancy street lamps and benches that decorate them. There is also a market nearby that is selling all kinds of goods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, while others sell pottery, art, and even some tools and simple bladed weapons.

The residents are the middle class; neither rich nor poor, these people have it a bit rough to pay their rent and for food but also being able to pay decent luxury to keep them well fed and warm.

Meanwhile, as you go lower, the buildings become less fancy and more run of the mill looking, until you finally reach the bottom. That is where you find the slums and most run down part of the city itself. Most buildings are in bad condition and rotting away that one has to wonder if these houses are even supposed to be owned by a citizen and not for the homeless. The citizens down here are mostly poor or even outright broke and live on whatever they can scavenge just to survive. In fact, most even have jobs that are on the higher levels to help them get payed so they can feed themselves or their families.

Nevertheless, whenever if the citizens are rich or poor, or the sections of the city are well stable or rotting away, the terrain is a challenge for its citizens to adapt and get around, from top to bottom, just like Mistral itself did.

To traverse through the city, the construction workers and engineers have worked tirelessly to make it beneficial for everyone to get around; There are lots of passages in the mountain that form tunnels, roads, sidewalks, and even bridges. There are all kinds of stairs to reach higher places or to get down the mountain quicker. There are even escalators and elevators scattered around the city to reach some places that's otherwise hard to reach, unless you're a skilled climber and/or can jump pretty high. And there's the simple made pathways and roads that are very long but are for those who like to simply walk or use it for exercise.

It's a busy city that has so many different people on different levels, living and working in their own ways.

Due to being so far away from Mistral and it's council, Kuchinashi's way of security and handling the city is mediocre at best, which is not really a good thing.

Like Bardus, Kuchinashi also has its fair share of thieves, thugs, even gangs and criminal organizations that hide in the shadows and out of sight, doing their black market deals and other kinds of schemes that's for all kinds of Dust, weapons, ammunition and currency, alongside other kinds of illegal items that are on sale that aren't sold in public.

That is where the lower levels are very dangerous and most of its citizens are always on high alert to stay focused in hoping to not get mugged, beaten, killed.. or something much worse. Heck, on the worst days, some citizens even refuse to leave their homes at the mere report there was an act of violence not far from their home. But their desperation for money will make most overcome their fears and make the risks worth it.

In the higher sections sections and the top, it's the most secured and most heavily guarded of the city. Most of the underworld in the lower parts rarely venture up there, unless it has something VERY valuable. It's heavily secured with plenty of guards and defense forces keeping the city under control. Though, the mayor of Kuchinashi is aware of the lower parts being in danger so he has been doing his best to send a good number of the police to be down there and keeping everything in control… though, it ain't easy but the mayor really wants to help his people, even having some support from Leo Lionheart.

Either way, Kuchinashi is a city that has it's citizens and they all must carry on.

On it's brighter days, it's filled with lots of people, human and faunus alike, who are all minding their daily business. It's mostly peaceful, as both races are mostly getting along and living other. There is the occasional skirmish and fights amongst each other but, otherwise, usually peaceful and negotiable.

At this time right now, it's the middle of the night, with the shattered moon drifting through the night sky and billions of bright stars that twinkle and lighten it up; some even forming into constellations of all different shapes, like a cosmic art gallery that awes the eyes of anyone looking up. The street lamps are lighting up the empty streets and stone pathways to guide anyone that's wandering out on these times of night. The lower sections are empty but the middle and top sections have plenty of people out and about. Even some markets are still open to sell their goods and accessories for customers that are still walking about.

Tonight, the city is rather calm and peaceful, as reports of crime and gangs are relatively low, in a time like this. Though, that doesn't mean one should let their guard down.

Nevertheless, people try their best to continue their activities, regardless, it isn't as safe as Haven.

In a certain location, it took place on the upper section of the mountain that's just below the peak.

Here, the section was the size of a town and had mostly 8 to 10 story buildings but a few of them were up to five to seven story buildings are scattered around. Unlike Bardus, it's cleaner and has little to no structural damage to all the buildings.

Several streets and city blocks are lit up by the street lamps and many residents are happily walking down the street and sidewalks. Some are even buying goods on the market.

On a random bench, a sweet couple of a young man and a young woman were enjoying each others company. They've have been on several dates which have improved their relationship and they got much closer together.

The boy is a human with black hair and is wearing a simple outfit that suggests he's from another continent, which is Sanus.

The girl is ferret faunus, with a long furry that swings from side to side on the bench.

"Lily." The young man said, in a tone of how much he sounds like he cares, to the young woman.

"Yes, Zach?" Said the young faunus, named Lily, to her boyfriend named Zach and looking at him.

"Isn't it nice out here? Just the two of us; you and me, having a simple good time together out here under the stars and moon?" He asked sincerely and was smiling at her.

Lily nodded her head in agreement, and happily smiles back to her boyfriend.

"You know… after so many dates.. I think we should take our relationship the the next step…." He further said as he waggled his eyebrows as Lily giggled at the suggestion.

"Oh, Zach. I've been thinking the same thing." Lily also said.

The two stared lovingly into each others eyes and decided to lean towards each other for a lovingly kiss…. but their moment got completely interrupted…..

A loud explosion and the sound of shattering glass was heard, coming from the tenth and top floor of a nearby theater which has a large glass window at the top... or, that is, HAD a glass window. The top floor was blown to smithereens by a massive explosion.

The sudden explosion their kiss interrupted, the couple .

Everyone that was nearby also stopped what they were doing and looked up.. and saw the most unexpected and unpredictable turn of events they ever saw in their lives.

Falling from the building, along with large pieces of the building, at least a dozen people are coming from the window and are plummeting towards the ground.

Something seems odd at what is happening, despite what's happening flying out of a window and plummeting five stories.

Amongst the falling crowd, there are lots of different kinds of people that look like they belong in different groups.

One group consists of what looks like swift and deadly ninjas; at least three of them… what's weird is that one of them isn't wearing any pants except a pair of red boxers with white hearts on them. A second ninja that's a woman but she's missing her shirt and is wearing a hefty sports bra to contain her well endowed chest… and a third ninja has both his shirt and pants but is missing his mask and, for some reason, is wearing clown make up.

There are also seems to be another group of people that seem to be wearing a lot of purple and violet. They also appear to have some kind of tattoo, each, on their bodies which are identical to each other. Almost like they belong in some kind of group or gang.

The group consists of two guys and a girl. Though, one guy is wearing a chicken mask, the other is a woman who's wearing a duck mask, and the third is a second guy and is wearing a turkey mask.

Than there's another guy that appears to be wearing some funky disco get up that looks like it belonged in an era 40 years ago. He even appears to have a funky afro.

In the center of it all… are two male teens who are in a tussle, while free falling all the way down.

If one would've seen them closer, they could see the two are dressing… rather oddly.

One appears to be wearing an oriental-styled waitress outfit that's dark red with gold outlines, a snorkeling mask that covers his entire face, a rainbow colored clown wig on the top of his head, and a pair of wooden clogs that he wears on his feet for shoes.

Last of all, what looks like he's supposed to be dual wielding a pair of pistols.. but instead, he's holding two bananas in both of his hands, holding and pointing them like they are guns towards the coyote faunus.

The other is no better, as he is wearing a firefighter's coat, a football helmet that he wears on his head which covers his face and the only visible thing are his yellow eyes. He also wears a pair of black rugby pants, a pink ballerina tutu, and a pair of white ballerina slippers for good measure.

Unlike the first guy, he's actually wielding a weapon which looks like a large plasma gun and he's aiming it right at the road runner faunus' head… ironic as the roadrunner faunus is only using bananas as his only defense

During this whole sudden moment… opera music was playing and everything was happening all in slow motion.

At the same time… a voice was heard.

"_I bet you're all wondering right now."_ Said the voice that sounded like it belonged to a young man that spoke in a midwestern accent which sounded pretty casual.

"_I can hear you all saying 'just what in the frickity frack is going on here?' or something like that." _He added.

"_If you ask me, this is quite a strange way to introduce your fourth and last protagonist, compared to the last three guys, from the last three trailers, that may or may not be my future teammates." _He also added.

"_You may have been expecting the same pattern from before; we get an intro, the protagonist is introduced, fights a random foe and learns about a lesson, bla bla bla, yadda yadda yadda. You get the memo." _He says.

"_To say what's happening right now… let's just say I've been going through a rather unusual event… and let me also say I may have pissed off a few people here.__"_

"_But we're getting a little off topic here and I could go all night with this….." _He added.

The entire scenery now freezes as the pause button was pushed.

"_You know what." _The voice said that sounded rather bored. _"This is getting rather confusing and doesn't make any sense on what's happening here without proper context. So let's take a big step back."_

Suddenly, as if the rewind button was hit, the whole scenery started to go in reverse and so fast that everything was a blur

"_It's about time we go WAAAAY back so we can understand how it started."_

Just as the "rewind" is nearly over… the voice had one thing to say.

"_Oh… and to those that wonder who I am… the names Rocky… Rocky Rhode Runner."_

* * *

**1 hour ago. Somewhere else further down the lower section of Kuchinashi**

The scenery has now changed and the location is now taking place somewhere else.

In a more crowded part of the city, on the very side of the mountain, there are several tall buildings bunched together.

The first thing that came in effect was extremely loud raving music that was coming from the interior of a large, two story building and the windows appears to have flashing lights that were changing color. There's a neon sign on the building that was called "The Raving Dragon" which has a serpentine dragon wearing shades and slithering around the sign.

The building is located in the more densely packed part of Kuchinashi where the more common folk live and also where it's more densely packed. This is where many partygoers like to visit and hang out, especially at night when the days have settled and those that can pay for it can have a good time here.

Though, it's also a place where some thugs and thieves also like to hang out by they keep a low profile and just blend in to their natural surroundings.

The music was blaring at full blast in volume that even from outside, you could easily hear it.

However, not far from the club, down a nearby alley, footsteps are heard, that echoed across the silent alley.

A figure is walking down the alley and reaching the club.

Despite being in the shadows, it appears to be a male, based on the body shape.

Eventually, as the figure got closer and out of the shadows, the young figure revealed himself.

He's a road runner faunus, thanks to his tail feathers, sticking straight, which are black and brown with the tips being dark green in color.

He's quite a handsome looking young man, with short black hair that covers most of his head and a black mohawk with the tips colored in green and emerald green eyes. He's 18 years old and stands around 5'9, slightly above the average height of a grown man and has a decent athletic build, not as muscular as the three previous guys but still well fit.

He's wearing a green colored, long stylish, two-tailed, coat that also has zippers on the sleeves. Underneath it, which is unzipped that leaves it open, he wears a simple black t-shirt but it looks like it has a symbol; two green double barreled revolvers that are criss crossed with each other and also has what looks like two green stars that are between the revolvers, one above and the other below.

He wears a pair of dark blue jeans, with silver coated chains, a leather belt with a metal buckle with the emblem resembling the skull of a roadrunners, and a pair of black boots with green accents. He also wears a pair of black fingerless gloves on his hands.

Strapped to his hips, are a pair of large, double barreled, revolvers. The revolvers are silver with engraved streaks that resemble feathers and are dark green.

But the most interesting thing he has is what's wrapped around his neck. It's some kind of necklace but with a strange little green orb on it. It looks like some kind of tiny dust crystal….

As he said before, his name is Rocky Rhode Runner.

"Right on. Get a good look at our fourth protagonist." Rocky said conveniently, as he kept walking down the street, hands in his pocket and whistling a tune, without a care in the world. "Now, without further ado, I will show you how our fourth protagonist is done." He also says out loud, for some reason, despite nobody's around him to hear him.

He kept walking…. more like strolling down the alley until he reached the front door.

Once he reached it, he smirked.. and started combing his mohawk to look stylish and than got out a breath spray

"Let's get this party started!" Rocky shouts in delight, as he pushes the doors aside and enters.

Once he got in, the first thing is the loud music that is blaring at full volume.

The interior of the club is quite a sight to behold; the inside of the club is massive and wide, with the ceiling being three stories up and at least dozens of yards in diameter, enough space to house nearly over a hundred people to party on the dance floor.

The dance floor itself is a massive, square shaped, platform that's made of thick glass, wit several metal rods holding it together, and it's floating several feet off the ground, likely due to some gravity dust. It's also floating above a large pool of water that's being lit up by underwater flashes of light that makes the pool look more flashy. There was also many glass pillars that surrounded the entire area and there were lots of holograms of trees for further decoration.

On one side of the room, which is Rocky's left, in the corners, there are several couches and booths for customers who don't want to dance and just want to hang out, while they eat and drink whatever is served in the club.

On the other side and it's own corners, which is Rocky's right, there lies a wide table that reaches from one end of the wall to the other. It's so wide that it has at least 12 bartenders working at the table for every customer that wants to order something to eat or drink.

On the other end of the room from where he's standing, there is a ton of arcade games and systems, classical and new, are for anyone that wants to play any video games for fun.

Above the dancefloor, there's a massive and fancy glass chandelier that shines like diamonds, spinning ceiling lights that light up the dancefloor with flashing colors, and several disco balls that brighten up and dazzles the entire club with their sparkling lights.

However, there is more up above than just chandeliers and disco balls that are the entertainment.

Up above, just below the disco balls and chandelier, there are at least half a dozen floating, gravity dust infused, square shaped platforms, which are much smaller but can still hold one person. Standing on each of them are the dancers which are all young and gorgeous looking women, human and faunus alike.

Rocky can see a lot of the professional dancers are up there, doing their performance to entertain their guests. They are wearing oriental styled dresses but are more revealing that shows off plenty of skin but they also remain pretty modest to make it appropriate enough to go out in public. Still, their outfits were very alluring to their guests, especially most guys and some girls. For extra flair, they also carry hand fans to use in part of their dances, as they gracefully twirl and follow the rep of the beating and addictive music that was heaven to everyone's ears.

While he does admire their beauty and their good looking appearance, he couldn't help but stare at one of them that was…. bottom heavy.

The girl he laid eyes on is a squirrel faunus with a squirrel tail and she gives a cutesy wink at him, despite performing.

"_Yeah, I cannot help myself." _Rocky thought with a dumb grin on his face and slightly blushing but he quickly snaps out of it and remains focused. He stares at the rest of the club for another minute.

Located near the dancefloor, the DJ is at his DJ table which is on a higher platform, where he controls the lights and the music that he's playing. He's wearing a black business suit and an oversized dragon mask that it's many times bigger than the average head of a human. Despite doing his job, he's having a good time as he's dancing along with the beats.

After standing there for a little while, Rocky finally makes his move and enters. He gives off a big smirk, enjoying the view, seeing all kinds of people.

Rocky has been through a lot in the past week and decides he wants to just relax and enjoy the night… until he's ready to leave this city and continent.

Though, he doesn't know what he wants to do when he leaves, all he knows is that he's gonna leave Anima and move to a new place. Maybe he'll think about it when he gets there.

Why exactly? Well… nobody knows but himself and there might be a hint as to why he wants to leave.

Anyways, Rocky has been through a lot today and is starving for something to eat. So he decides to head over to the long table. In addition of being a bar, the club is also a restaurant.

Once he got over to the table, one of the bartenders looked up and smirked at him.

"Welcome to Raving Dragon." Said the female bartender, who also works as taking the orders for their customers. "May I take your order or are you here for a drink?"

Rocky smirks and quickly makes his order.

"I'll take a double cheese pizza, with green peppers, mushrooms, and pepperoni, please." He says without breaking stride.

The bartender writes down on her notebook and passes it to her co-worker who takes it to the kitchen behind them. She also handed some device to Rocky. "Okay. Just hang onto this. It will beep and glow when your food is ready and it will also help our staff find your location in this crowded place. I suggest you also find a seat. While you're waiting, you can either enjoy the wait on the dance floor, the lounge area, or the arcade systems."

"Thank you very much." Rocky said politely. He now turns his attention to the dance floor and the other points of interests.

"Also." the bartender says. "Since we have a lot of people here, who also made their orders, yours might take a while."

"Much obliged, miss." Rocky answered and sounded like he's completely fine with it, while giving off a toothy smile, which twinkles, while also winking at her.

The bartender couldn't help but chuckle and rolled her eyes, in amusement.

As he starts walking somewhere else, Rocky sees that much of the arcade system is fairly occupied by most late teenagers and young adults but still enough room for him to play. He checks out the lounge area where most people are sitting their, drinking their drinks… and he notices some of them are kissing and leaning on each others shoulders, indicating some of them are likely couples or just pairs of people going out on dates.

He then turns his attention to the DJ who was busy playing his track lists. Rocky grins for a second and has an idea.

He walks over to the DJ who turns his head and looks at Rocky quizzically. Rocky whispers into the DJ's ear for a certain song he wants him to play, than takes out a large wad of lien for the DJ. The DJ nods in agreement and takes the lien.

With that done. It's gonna be quite a while before the song he chose starts because the DJ already has many more music tracks already on his list to play so Rocky has to wait.

For now, Rocky decides to head to the arcade system but he first found his seat and hooked the device the bartender gave him on the table and detached the beeping mechanism to let him know his food is ready.

He heads over to the arcade section and trades his lien in the form of coins to insert into the arcade systems. Nowadays, it seems playing the games can also give you tickets, to win some merchandise and other stuff the club sells, for the amount of tickets you earned.

Anyways, Rocky decided to go to the classic arcade systems, which are really old fashioned arcade cabinets which are out of date but still working fine. Many of then include the classical Mac-Pan, Ping, The Linguine Brothers, Millipede, Invading Space, and even a strange game called Bolypius.

With that in mind, he heads over to Mac-Pan and starts playing after inserting the coins. It's a simple game; you play as a blue square with a mouth that eats these blue, square shaped, pellets in a maze, and he must avoid the colorful Grimm Geists from touching him.

After a few minutes of playing, Rocky managed to get a major high score and has surpassed most players that played it earlier. Though, despite his efforts, he only got in fourth place. Not bad, as there are at least 50 total players that are recorded on it.

With that done, he starts playing several more games… little does he know… he's being watched by someone who is in the corner.

* * *

**20 minutes later.**

Rocky has already played many of the classic games and even many of the newer ones. They were pretty fun but he used up a lot of cents and doesn't want to waste anymore. Though, he did play other arcade games, such as skee ball, which he's VERY good at. He won a ton of tickets and mostly spent them on pieces of candy which he'll have for later. He also bought a few trinkets, because he wanted to.

With that done, he knows his song should be coming pretty soon so he heads to the dance floor. He checks his device to see if his pizza is done… it isn't just yet but he knows it should be close.

So with that checked, he heads to the dance floor.

He reached the stairs and climbs up onto the floating dance floor that floats above the shimmering and flashing pool of water. He looks around and sees many people are enjoying the current music tracks and he just stands there, waiting for his own track to start.

As the last song was finished, the DJ prepares to put in the next song and Rocky gets into his pose; he's gonna bring the entire club down tonight, as a final act before he leaves this continent.

As the music begins to play, it starts off rather silent and there was a droning sound that slowly got louder and louder..

**I'M GONNA GET TANKED… TONIGHT.**

The music now starts blaring with a rather upbeat and intoxicating music starts getting everyone's attention. As the music got louder and more upbeat, Rocky was standing in the middle of the dancefloor. He was tapping his foot and bobbing his head up and down at the beat and started making his moves.

The music started picking up the pace and so was Rocky's movements to the beat.

He was bobbing his head and tapping his feet to the beat than started moving his hips and shoulders when the intensity of the music heightened.

At the same time, some of the dancers on the dance floor were already starting to join in, as they were starting to like this epic transfusion remix of a music track.

The track now started to speed up and Rocky was also keeping pace that the other dancers were impressed with Rocky's talent in breaking down this dance moves.

Soon, as the pacing of the music intensified, everyone was basically following the beat of the music and dancing to their heart's content, with Rocky in the center of it all.

With the music reaching its peak, Rocky is now taking his groove to the next step and is now going all out. His footwork has started stepping up his game and now his arms are following the rhythm of the beat as if he's mimicking or even being the rhythm of the music itself.

Eventually, the whole club was enjoying the new song, even those that weren't on the dance floor or were working were also enjoying the track and were playing along to the rep. Some even decided to join the club and also got on the dance floor.

Even the professional female dancers on the floating platforms above stopped their performances and were all looking down from above and watched Rocky lay waste to the dance floor.

Rocky is definitely enjoying the moment and sharing the music he suggested to play for tonight. He even did an epic moonwalk down the dancefloor and back which impressed everyone.

Soon, the music reached its climax and Rocky was owning the dance floor, as he struck an epic pose, just as the song ended with him.

Nearly everyone was clapping and cheering to Rocky. Heck, some were even taking photos and recording Rocky doing his dance.

Rocky couldn't help but feel a bit admired by the people of the Raving Dragon. Despite their cheering, though, they all didn't surround him like he was a celebrity. They just treated him like a normal person, just some guy who just wanted to share his favorite track, while also wanting to have some fun and enjoyment. Because, again, he ain't gonna be here for long.

Though, he couldn't help think deeply into his mind.. of something that this moment reminded him of his past...

Rocky envisions… the sounds of cheerings in the tens of thousands… and the flashing lights in the crowds of adoring fans and people that are cheering for him after his performance.

He now can see himself in some kind of green skin tight outfit that makes him look like he belongs in some kind of circus or performance act. His tail is tucked away in his suit while he wears a domino mask over his eyes that hides much of his face. Instead of a mohawk, his hair was ruffled and messy. Giving him the look of some gymnastic professional instead of the punkish looking teen that he is now.

He's standing in the middle of a massive ring that surrounds massive spectator seats and bleachers, waving out to the crowd of adoring fans, with a genuine smile on his face and waving to them as a response to them enjoying his epic stunts that he just did for them entertaining them…

During his fantasy of his secret past, Rocky suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket and was brought back to reality. He notices the device is vibrating, indicating his pizza is done.

Rocky steps off the dancefloor and heads over to his table, since the club dies down and now starts off with simple jazz music, to ease everyone down and relax.

However, what Rocky doesn't know, in the crowd, somebody's watching… and not a friendly person.

As Rocky heads to the table, he notices two figures were standing in front of him.

Two good looking, young ladies, around his age, wearing tight dresses and skirts, were grinning at him as if he impressed them with his performance.

One appeared to be a blonde human, wearing a purple dress and black high heel boots. She's wearing earrings, bracelets, and rings as accessories.

The other is a moth faunus, with gray and brown moth wings that are gently folded across her back. She's wearing a black colored dress with purple high heel boots. She too is wearing earrings, bracelets, and rings as accessories.

"_Well… seems those two are so close with each other that they apparently seem share their sense of fashion." _Rocky thought and still tried to look good.

"And what do we have here?" Rocky said, curious, with a little bit of smugness in it. "Can I help you, you two fine looking young ladies?" Rocky asked, trying to sound polite but also being a little flirty, doing his best to look at them in the eyes and only briefly looked at their voluptuous figures. Though, they don't seem to mind his temporary stare and are still smiling at him like fangirls.

The two girls looked at each other for a second but smirked and looked back at him.

Like, totally, yeah we do!" They answered that sounded like the dialect of a valley girl.

Rocky was a little taken back by the two girls and their valley girl dialect but was absolutely fine with them.

"You were, like, oh ma gawd! So awesome that you just caught our attention!" Said the human blonde that sounded excited and impressed.

"What you just did… you just, like, totally blew us all out of the water with your dance moves of yours that it brought the entire roof down on the Raving Dragon!" She continued.

"Yeah! He was, like, totally awesome and became a superstar.. but WAY more epic!" Said the moth faunus who also sounded so awed and impressed with Rocky's performance. Rocky felt a little flattered and even felt like stroking his ego but decided not to.

"Anyways, where did you even, like, learn those moves?" The blonde human asked him in curiosity.

As Rocky heard that question…. he couldn't help but frown and visualize somebody in his head.

All Rocky got, in his mind, was a glimpse of what looks like a human man who appears to be big boned; not fat, but pretty stout and muscular. He has a thick beard and mustache that could rival professor Port's. He has his back turned and arms crossed, but he had his head turned slightly back to give a toothy smile and Rocky mentally heard a jovial laugh that sounded so full of life and gusto.

A person Rocky looked up to and deeply respected.

Rocky snapped out of his thoughts and smirked at the two girls.

"Ah, you know. Nothing but epic self taught training that I've learned and dedicated for several years. No biggie. No sweat" He casually said while looking a little smug and confident about it.

Though, that was definitely a lie and he knows that. But he's doing that for a reason for his self preservation that he doesn't want to expose and make things more difficult for him.

Despite his lie, the girls were convinced and just rolled with it. It's for the better if he doesn't let his secret out and spread to everyone else.

"So… since you two seem greatly interested in me, why don't we take a seat at my table and have some pizza that I ordered. I know I was originally gonna have it for myself but I think there's enough to go around for you two as well."

The girls smiled at the idea and followed him to his table, being a gentleman to help them in their seats. Though, despite smiling, he feels a bit dreaded internally.

"_Can't let them know… can't let anyone know about me…" _Rocky thought in slight dread but remains calm and composed.

On the table, was a pizza box where the pizza resides within. Rocky heads over to it and opens the lid, and a delicious cloud of pizza steam fills the noses of Rocky and the girls.

"OHOHOHOHO… YEAH." Rocky drools in delight of the heavenly smell of the piece of art that is food. Rocky… LOVES pizza, especially the smell that envelops his nostrils.

The two girls were also interested in the pizza, as they too were drooling in hunger.

The three dug in and ate the pizza like it was dessert.

Little does Rocky know, the being that was spying on Rocky is still watching him, within the crowd of people.

* * *

**7 minutes later. **

"And I say to him, 'Eh. What's up doc?!'" Rocky jokingly narrated in his storytelling that made the other two girls to giggle. "And he says 'You're despicable!' Hahahaha!" He laughed.

Rocky and the valley girls have eaten half of the pizza, with the other half left untouched.

After enjoying the pizza, Rocky was now having a good conversation with them and even sharing some parts of his past that involve some random incidents that were pretty amusing.

The two valley girls were laughing and enjoying Rocky's company. They weren't bonding with him or anything, just someone to talk to and giving each other company.

"We're, like, gonna go play some games. You can join us if you want." The moth faunus casually says, as she and her human friend walked towards the gaming section.

Rocky felt like he wanted to join them and decided to, after thinking for a few more seconds.

They were already at the arcade section and he was just getting up from his table.

Just as Rocky was leaving his table, he turned his head back and looked at his pizza, making sure the box is still there. Considering the pizza is halfway eaten, he was thinking of saving it for later. Right now, he should worry about playing some games with the girls.

Just as he turned his head award to face forward… he's staring down the barrel of a revolver that's aiming point blank at his face.

"Going somewhere, Runner?" Said a voice in a southern accent.

Rocky heard a voice that sounded like it belonged to a man in front of Rocky who looked up and saw the being that is threatening him with the revolver.

Standing in front of Rocky is a human man that looks to be in his early 20's and standing at 6'2", pretty much towering over Rocky that he has to look up at him.

He's wearing a sleeveless, light purple, leather jacket over a white t-shirt, dark purple jeans, spiked shoulder pads, a thick leather belt with metal skull engraved on it, and a purple scarf that's wrapped around his lower face that only his eyes are seen.

He's also wearing a dark purple stetson hat on the top of his head.

Rocky also noticed something; Located on the man's right shoulder, there lies a tattoo that takes the shape of a spider that is perched on a spider web.

Rocky recognizes that symbol anywhere because he's seen it many times before. In fact, he used to somewhat work with them, despite not being a member of them.

This man is none other than Quickdraw. A silent but deadly and skilled assassin that can easily end the lives of his targets in an instant with his marksmanship and his deadly semblance called Bypass: a semblance that makes his attacks bypass any barrier, no matter the substance it's made of or how dense and durable it is, he will easily puncture it. Aura is no exception, no matter how focused or strong it is. Only downside is that once his semblance infused bullet or blade bypasses a barrier, the semblance wears off and is only as strong as any other bullet or blade. Also, it can only pass physical based barriers and aura (since aura is capable of tanking physical based attacks). Energy based barriers can't be bypassed.

Nonetheless, it's still a dangerous semblance to many that Quickdraw even has a nickname; the Bypassin' Assassin.

Rocky is aware of the dangers of that semblance because he knows Quickdraw quite well and saw him in action more than one occasion.

Though, despite this place being a club, it lacks bodyguards and bouncers, because most people that come to this club are also capable fighters and some are even huntsman that bring their own weapons with them into the club. Heck, it's not uncommon for the Raving Dragon to break out into fights on more than one occasion. With Quick Draw having his revolver aimed right at Rocky's face, it doesn't cause a surprise to anyone as they are all minding their own business. Besides, as said before, Kuchinashi has some difficulties keeping the city in check, due to being far away from Haven.

Rocky just rolled with it and responded. "Oh, why yes, Quickdraw." He said smiling, rather politely, as if he's being casual and friendly, despite having a gun pointed straight at his face.

Rocky slowly backed up and sat back down in his seat, while Quickdraw followed him and moved to the opposite side of the table. "As a matter of fact, to my humblest apology, I won't be able to see Miss Malachite because I'm going on a vacation and never coming back." He added bluntly and giving a sheepish grin.

The specific boss he's talking about is none other than Lil' Miss Malachite; the leader and boss of the Spiders gang that she commands and leads.

Rocky can still remember what she looked like and her general appearance; she is a woman, somewhere around her late 30's to early 40's. She's a rather good looking woman, even if she is a little on the plump side but she was still rather curvy and quite a beauty. She has light skin, short blonde hair that's styled into a bob cut, pink lipstick on her upper lip, a beauty mark under her right eye, and lavender eyes.

She's wearing a backless white dress with long sleeves that are covered in purple beads and straps, along with a purple corset and long pleated skirt is yellow on top, purple in the middle, and white on the bottom. She wears a pair of brown shoes each with a green ribbon.

Lastly, she usually carries a hand fan with her and uses it when she's making deals or intimidating new people.

And with that, we have Lil Miss Malachite, the leader and boss of the Spiders gang.

Back to reality with Rocky as he continues to stare at Quickdraw who wasn't amused at hearing what Rocky just said to him.

"I'm afraid it's too late." The Spiders assassin replies, as he too sat down across from Rocky's seat, while still pointing his gun at the roadrunner faunus. "You shouldn't have double crossed us." He said rather infuriated. "Miss Malachite has put a large price on your head that every known member of the Spiders will be looking for ya… and also feeling eager to get a promotion to a new rank of the Spiders." He finished as he chuckled wickedly. "...And I'm lucky to have found _you_ first."

Despite the threat, Rocky wasn't intimidated and stayed as calm as he can be, while still giving off his signature grin.

"Yeah, but, really, I can't come because I got some cute girls to play video games with, I have a pizza I ordered and I want to save it later, and I got a schedule to leave in a couple of days" Rocky says but Quickdraw wasn't amused and convinced since he doesn't trust Rocky… and never has from the start.

"Than if you give me the money now, than _maybe _I'll forget I found you, leave you be, and tell Miss Malachite I got the job done..." He replied that sounded like he's not taking him seriously and just wants to end him right here and now. "...And I am doubtful that will likely happen because you know how loyal I am to Miss Malachite and how she wants visual evidence when I get the job done….." He added.

Rocky knows he ain't lying because he knows Quickdraw is very loyal to Malachite and will do anything for her and does whatever order she tells him, without question.

Rocky still remains calm and even starts looking bored, as he rubs his hand across the wall behind him of his booth.

"I don't have it _with _me and I might not be able to hand it over either." Rocky says it's unfortunate and looking all sheepish. In fact, he's partially right as he in fact doesn't have the money with him and he's hiding it in a secret hideout somewhere in Kuchinashi.

He slowly reaches for his double barreled dust-revolver from his hip which Quickdraw cannot see from under the table. "Look, tell Malachite I-"

"Miss Malachite is through with you, especially what you have done recently." Quickdraw interrupted, feeling his patience running thin.

"Recently?" Rocky asked innocently but Quick Draw narrows his eyes and is on the verge of just pulling the trigger and being done with it.

"She has no time for people, human OR faunus, who smuggle and sabotage her black market business deals for their own gain, while replacing the money with counterfeit lien; ESPECIALLY right from under her nose that makes her look like a complete fool... and that just pisses me off."

* * *

**Flashback. 1 week ago. Secret hideout where a black market auction is taking place.**

In a secret hideout with its location unknown, there is a secret black market auction that's hosted by Malachite's gang and they are selling all kinds of interesting weapons and dusts that are illegal on the public market.

All the bidders are in their seats, ranging from gangsters, professional criminals, to even huntsman and huntresses, listening to the auctioneers and doing their bidding.

In this auction, on display, are several jars filled with a rare material called Dark Dust. A rather powerful but extremely dangerous and highly illegal brand of Dust.

However, the one who was doing the bid was talking in southwestern accent.

"_I'm at 500 n I want 550, 550, bet on 550, still at 500. Now doubled over there at 1000. 1000, I want 1500, anyone for 1500. Still at 1000. Over here bids 1500, now we go for 2000. Thank you now 2000, Dark Dust at 2500, we need 2500 on the Dust. 2500 for Dark Dust and now we have 3000_

That was Rocky, dressed up in a western styled outfit, wearing a fake beard, a pair of shades, and a stetson hat,, while performing and working as a temporary auctioneer for this deal.

However, what impressed everyone was how fast he was speaking without missing a beat that some bidders were barely keeping up of understanding what he's saying for the auction.

"_Now we're at 4500. I bid 5000, anyone for 5000, bid 5000, one over there at 5000. 5500, I bet 5500. And sold at 5500!"_

The other auctioneers were completely flabbergasted at Rocky being so good at this. Even taking away the attention of their potential bidders as they all focus their interest on Rocky.

* * *

**Present. **

Rocky chuckled, as he remembered the task and was having fun bidding as the auctioneer. After many more auctions of selling all kinds of dust and weapons. Rocky bidded a total of 100,000 lien.

"Though, I'll admit you're auction skills were nothing to sneeze at, for somebody your age." The Spider member admitted, as he was more than impressed with Rocky being a pro as an auctioneer.

If Rocky wasn't having a gun pointed at his head, he would've thanked that compliment but stayed smirking.

"But that still doesn't excuse you sabotaging Miss Malachite's well deserved money after all that. In fact, you have become one of the worst enemies on Miss Malachite's hit list." He slightly leans forward and stares directly into Rocky's eyes._ "She will not rest until she gets the money that she rightfully __**deserves**__." _

"Than he leans in more closely and looks into Rocky's eyes with a death glare.

_"She wants your __**blood**__ which she will use as an example and reminder to anyone else who ever thinks of double crossing her." _He finished rather cold and dark. But that still doesn't faze Rocky.

"Wow. That got pretty dark all of a sudden." Rocky said sarcastically surprised. "And I thought slicing off an arm or watching someone get reduced to ashes was dark…" Rocky said but then looked like he was thinking further. "I mean, that would probably pale in comparison to some evil, tyrannical, overlord who commands the Grimm as their army and also wants to eradicate humanity, covering Remnant in darkness. Good thing we just have the Grimm and nothing more than that." He droned on that annoyed Quickdraw again that he pulls on the hammer of his revolver that makes a clicking sound and the cylinder made a turn. At the same time, Rocky already has his revolver drawn and he slowly positions itself, ready to draw his weapon and shoot Quickdraw before he can fire.

"I'm done seeing you flapping your lips and stupid coming out of your mouth. Now, give me the money or I will give it to Miss Malachite with your remains attached to it."

Rocky smirks again as he too leans forward mirrors Quickdraw, as he stares back at him.

"Well, if you wanted to kill me already, you should've done the moment you aimed your gun at me, instead of lecturing me about your reason for being here for the past two minutes." Rocky says to Quickdraw with a raised eyebrow

Quickdraw chuckled again. "I'm just here to give you the message, under Miss Malachite's order.

Rocky smirked and looked smug at Quickdraw and said something that was finally the last straw to the Spider Assassin.

"Well that's a pity, isn't it? If she wanted to make it more personal with me…. she should of just got off her big fat booty, came all the way over here on her thick meaty thighs... and told me through her fat juicy lips."

BANG!

A loud shot from a revolver was heard and everyone stopped what they were turned their heads to the direction. Even the music stopped and went silent, along with the dancers stopped their performance and looked down from their higher positions.

In the spot where the loud noise went off, there was a large cloud of cold vapor that enveloped the area and nobody could see through it easily.

Everyone stayed silent that even the valley girls rushed from the arcade section and ran over to what just happened.

Eventually, the mist cloud settled and everyone could see something.

Rocky was sitting in his chair, staring down a frozen bullet that's just inches away from his face. The bullet is frozen in midair, attached to a long stream of ice that's also attached to a large block of ice with Quickdraw frozen within it.

Rocky had his double barreled revolver out in the open, in his hand, pointing at Quickdraw and a mist of cold vapor was smoking out of the guns barrels.

As everyone was staring at the spot Rocky was sitting at, he looked back at everyone, until he stood up and raised his arms in the air.

"I shot him first! It was totally me that shot first!" He spouted like he was trying to prove something.

What happened was that Rocky was able to draw his revolver out from under the table and fired an explosive Ice-Dust bullet, which froze Quickdraw.

While the assassin also got his shot, he was a little too slow in the draw and ended up being frozen, along with his bullet being also being frozen in midair and stuck to his frozen prison. The velocity of the bullet was reduced by the ice dust and stopped it dead in it's tracks, making it's semblance useless.

Despite being frozen, he's aware of what happened, as his eyes were darting around in slight panic and fury towards Rocky who seemed amused.

He twirled his revolver and blew the tip of the barrel which had mist seeping out of it, akin to a cowboy blowing the smoke out of his gun.

"Whelp, seems I have outdone you." Rocky casually says, as he stared at the frozen assassin with an amused grin.

"Look, despite what I did, I deeply respect you, Quickdraw, and your loyalty to Malachite. Heck, I even deeply admire you're marksmanship and determination of tracking me down. So I'll consider this no hard feelings to you… basically, I won't be giving you the cold shoulder" As he starts to get up from his seat and started packing up his pizza.

"Check, please!" Rocky called out for the check, which came shortly after and than he paid the bill for his pizza by placing his lien on the table. "Keep the change.".

Just as he was about to go, he looked at Quickdraw one last time who was _coldly _glaring at him.

"Oh, and another thing. When you see Miss Malachite, telling her it was an honor working with the Spiders."

Despite betraying them, Rocky was honest of working with the Spiders, even befriending some of the more friendly members. Though, he's not above attacking them and harming them, since they no longer work together. He has other plans of traveling.

"But now… I must go. So have a nice night, Quickdraw." He finished, as he walks away, leaving the frozen Spider assassin behind who wanted to break out of his frozen prison and wring Rocky's little neck but can't.

Just as he was about to reach the exit… he encounters those two girls again who were fangirling and looking so awed by what Rocky just did.

"Like, OMG!" They both squeed at Rocky's performance. "You're were, like, totally awesome!"

"Hehehe… I sure did." Rocky said in slight confidence as he looked at the frozen Quickdraw. He looks back at the two girls. "Well, sorry I couldn't play games with you girls. I… was meeting an old time friend of mine so I had to stay behind."

"Totally. It's cool." The blonde human said as if she didn't mind.

"Yeah. Like, what you did was awesome enough for us to see!" Said the moth faunus who was also excited.

"Well, as much as I like to hang around a bit longer, I think I had enough for tonight and I need to get going." He said that sounded a little apologetic but the girls didn't mind. In fact, other people in the club were also cheering and clapping their hands.

Seeing this round of applause, made Rocky get a slight glimpse of him in the past in some kind of circus performance again where tens of thousands of people were cheering for him.

After snapping back to reality, before Rocky could go, he looked at the girls again.

"Before I go, what are your names?" He asked.

"I'm Pixie!" Said the blonde human.

"And I'm Dixie!" Said the moth.

"We're, like, best friends!" The two cheered and had their arms draped over each of their shoulders like being best friends.

"Heh. Well, Pixie and Dixie. It was great meeting you two, despite that we just met.. and I probably won't see you ever again..." He said but then moved his head away and partially covered it with his mouth as he slightly whispered. "Except maybe in a Chibi spin-off."

"Huh?" They asked in confusion of what he said.

"Nothing!" He spouted. He then starts carrying his pizza box with him. "Anyways, it's nice knowing ya so good night!" He waved goodbye to them as they too waved back saying goodbye.

He even glimpsed at the professional dancers with the one he stared at most gave a wink at him, while she was still dancing and doing her job.

Rocky smirked back and momentarily stared at her voluptuous figure before exiting the club.

Once he exited the Raving Dragon, he was now outside and back onto the alleys and streets again. Once the doors have closed, the music was blocked out more and Rocky can hear the feel the chilling wind blowing.

He sighed and started walking. The first thing he has in mind is heading over to his temporary secret hideout to sleep for the night and then leave this place. Which is in the far lower section to where he is now. Normally, he would either take the elevator, the lifts, or even the escalator. Tonight, though, he feels like just taking the longer route by down the trail that's connected to the road for cars and other vehicles.

He had no rush, he just had enough hanging out at the club and wanted to get some peace and quiet, especially out here which is rather quiet. Though, another and bigger reason was because Quickdraw somehow managed to track him down. If that Spider assassin managed to find him, than that means some other members of the Spiders may be close by or coming their way which puts him on high alert.

Rocky knows it isn't safe but he also knows the Spiders only want him and the money he has, at least that's what Quickdraw suggests. But he ain't that much concerned as he is able to protect himself and he has his double barreled revolvers and his semblance. Either way, the roadrunner faunus needs to head down the city and to reach a secret hideout that even they couldn't find him.

As he started exiting the alley and taking the main sidewalk that's connected to the main road, not far away, on top of a random building, where the moon shines

Due to the angle of the figure being in front of the moon, all can be seen was a silhouette but he was definitely staring at Rocky and gives a toothy grin that shows his sharp teeth.

* * *

**30 minutes later**

Rocky has managed to reach a lower section by taking the road and a few stairs. Here, the buildings are less fancy and more run down looking but still manageable and able to be rented for anyone that can pay it.

Rocky was looking around the place, despite being in similar areas of the city before. He couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic "Man… it's quite sad how most people down here have it harder than the rest up there."

As he kept walking down the more run down part of Kuchinashi, he heard a noise of what sounded like a trash can fell over which in fact was.

Further down a narrow street, Rocky noticed something or someone was moving in the shadows and near a bunch of trash cans.

Due to being a roadrunner faunus, his senses are superior to most humans but he's slightly inferior to other faunus with nocturnal animal traits, as they can see in the dark better than he could, but Rocky can still see pretty well in the dark.

When Rocky managed to focus and adjust his vision a little, he could see a shape that resembles a woman and he saw two smaller shapes close to it that resemble children.

The shapes took notice and got frightened. They tried to hide but didn't have anywhere to exactly hide so they tried to hide behind a few trash cans and garbage bags but they were too late as Rocky already saw them.

Rocky wasn't sure how to take this situation at hand but he disturbed it and now he's gonna have to face it.

"Alright. I didn't mean to interrupt your.. whatever you were doing…." He said he's reassured but he mentally slapped himself how he said it. "Look, why don't you come on out. I promise I won't hurt you."

After a few seconds, the beings were hesitant but eventually came out of the alley and out into the street lamp filled streets.

Rocky got a good look who it was.

Coming out of the alley was a human woman, in her mid to late 20's, along with her two young children; one a young girl that has to be in her at least 12 or 13 and the other a younger boy who is at least 8 or 9..

But what surprised Rocky was how tattered and dirty their clothes were.

The woman had a simple ragged and tattered dress with a dirty apron that looked like it was worn for months, if not years, Her messy blonde hair was covered in dirt and grime that it makes her look like she hasn't showered for quite some time either.

Her children were no better as they too were wearing tattered clothing and also looked like they haven't taken a bath for so long.

Just by looking at them, Rocky can deduce the woman and her children are very poor… or are homeless and likely live off of any scrapes they can scavenge.

What Rocky doesn't know is that the woman does in fact have shelter that's barely considered a home and she also has a job that pays her so she can buy food to keep her children and herself well fed..

The problem is that her job is temporarily closed due to an accident that will take time to repair so the woman hasn't been paid for several weeks and they ran out of food recently. Her job should reopen soon so she can work again and get the money she needs for her children and herself.

For now, she's scavenging for whatever food they can find just to hang on.

The two children are hiding behind their mother and look scared of seeing someone like Rocky. Even their mother looks a little afraid as she appears to not fully trust Rocky. Who could blame her? Rocky can understand meeting a stranger in a time and place like this, especially when he's holding some pizza box.

Based on the location, which is heaps of trash and likely tons of food thrown away, it's likely this woman has come here to find any scraps of food she and her children could feast on, just to hang on a little longer.

Rocky felt a little guilty seeing this poor human woman struggling to find food for herself and especially for her children. Judging by her pale and frail look, she's likely been sacrificing her food and giving it to her children to keep them well fed and eating so little for herself.

He looks at the pizza box and back to the woman who was staring at him but more so at the pizza box, while two of her children hid behind her and peered over a bit as they too were staring at the box.

Rocky couldn't help but feel sympathetic to the woman and her children. Just by looking at their slightly tattered clothes and their skinny physiques, they must be very poor and have little to no money.. or not even have any money at all.

He looks at his pizza box, and just shrugs his shoulders and walks towards the woman who looked a bit nervous that she felt like she wanted to grab her children and run away but the smell of pizza was too irresistible to leave and the risk of something bad happening for the pizza was considered worth it, as her stomach growled loudly. Besides, her children are starving too and this may be her only chance to fill their bellies, along with hers, that may last for a while longer.

Once Rocky was two feet away from the woman, he stared into her rather frightened and nervous eyes for a few seconds, until he handed the pizza box forward. The woman looked slightly confused, but she internally knew what Rocky was suggesting.

"Take it." The roadrunner faunus says with a genuine smile. "You and your family can have this."

The woman didn't answer and still looked unsure, whenever if she should or shouldn't trust this stranger that's offering a pizza and a little bit of money to her.

"The three of you definitely need it more than I do. Besides, it's just pizza. Not like I would get fussy over giving food to someone that needs it just to survive." Rocky assured her.

Despite not changing her expression, the woman took his words of advice and slowly reaches her hand out and takes the box.

Her two children move next to her as she opens the box and the three that are starving got a good whiff of that pizza that was still fresh and warm.

Her children were drooling at the sight of the meal while she couldn't help but shed tears of joy of getting a lucky chance of tasting something good in quite a while.

"T-Thank you…" She whispered that sounded so full of relief and hope was on her side. She even gave Rocky a genuine smile.

The children also smiled at rocky and even thanked him for the meal as well.

All Rocky did was nod his head to them, already accepting their appraisal to him. He smiled back and felt pretty happy giving this woman and her children a chance to see another day with pizza.

"I suggest you head home or wherever that's a hideout. This place isn't safe, especially at night and it's not the Grimm you should worry about." He suggested to them that they should leave for their own safety.

The woman took his words of advice and nods to him with a genuine smile while her children also smile back but more like thanking him for the food.

The woman and her children left and headed towards their house which wasn't far away. It was small and run down, heck, it even had broken windows and a door that was barely attached to it's hinges but it was what they had so they did what they could for the best of it.

As Rocky watched them go, he smiled a little. He felt a little glad he was able to help some unfortunate people that have it rough. But now, as much as he likes helping people, he needs to also help himself. And he has been thinking of a career he might do that may help people in many ways.

Than… he couldn't help but experience a memory… a memory that was brief but just as dreadful and depressing as he can remember.

* * *

**8 years ago.**

The only glimpse he envisioned within his mind… was himself…. at the age of 10, sitting against a brick wall in the middle of some run down town. He's wearing tattered clothes but also covered in bloody bruises, scratches, and a swollen black eye. Even his hair and tail feathers were messy and ruffled.

He was sitting there… barely aware of his surroundings and showed nothing but a blank and emotionless stare. He was on the verge of starving and he didn't get much sleep but he didn't care...

He slowly looked up and sees two humans… one man and the other a woman. The man is holding a chain that's attached to a metal collar.. and they were both devilishly grinning at him…..

The next moment he can remember, he sees his younger self standing alongside a long row other faunus and even a few humans among them…. All of them bound by chains and collars around their wrists and necks. Many of them have varied expressions of fear, despair, depression, hopelessness, or all of the above….

The young Rocky's expression doesn't change and looks emotionless as if he's a soulless husk…..

* * *

"Excuse me, young man." Said a voice that sounded like it belonged to an elderly woman.

Rocky snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head towards the other side of the street from where he's standing.

Standing at the other side of the road and on the sidewalk is an elderly woman who looks like she's somewhere in her late 60's to early 70's. She's much shorter than the road runner faunus and is slightly hunched. She has a dark brown complexion and long silver hair on her head that's a pony tail and tied into a braid.

Her outfit consists of a traditional tabasco styled dress with dark blue sleeves and a dark blue skirt that reaches just above her shins which she wears a pair of brown boots. She has a pair of brown gloves and a dark blue cloak, with white hollow triangles decorated on the edges, along with it being secured by two white pauldrons on the shoulders.

In her left hand, she appears to be using a walking stick, that's a natural wooden shaft, to keep her balanced. But Rocky noticed, it has some kind of metal piece with a purple band, at the foot of the cane. The top had some kind of ornate blue skull, covered with cyan lights, and a similar metal band also with a purple band that's near the

In her right hand, she's holding a small bag that she's carrying with her. Based on the smell that Rocky senses, she might be carrying… cashews?

However, what caught Rocky's attention the most from the elder woman is that she's wearing some kind of device that's covering her eyes. The device is dark grey with cyan lenses and Rocky even noticed the goggles have adjustable shutters that open and close, every time the woman "blinks" and also gives her expressions with her "eyes".

"_Huh. Those are some interesting goggles right there…" _Rocky thought in slight curiosity and wondering who this woman is that seems to be interested in him. _"Wonder why grandma is wearing a pair like that… what's her history?" _

"I'm aware that you are probably in a hurry… but… do you mind helping an old woman cross the street?"

Rocky looks at her for a second and then looks both ways of the street which wasn't busy and not even a sign of any cars…. but Rocky couldn't say no since this woman is politely asking him.

"Sure. I mean, I'm in a hurry but I got some time to spare."

Rocky walks across the road and reaches the old woman. He gently grabs her hand and slowly helps her across the street.

"You know, I wonder." Rocky said out loud. "Why aren't you using the more practical transportation of this town which can get around this town better?" He asked.

"Good question." The old lady said. "As much as I'm aware of their means of transportation here, I feel more like preferring to walk." She answered.

"Heh… I was thinking the same thing too tonight." Rocky chuckled. He was a bit impressed with this old lady taking the longer route and feeling like she knows what she's doing, regardless of the dangers and risks.

However, once he reached the middle of the road, he couldn't help but detect something was wrong, as he felt his aura managed to help him feel is surroundings a little. It's not as good as most other aura users that detect their surroundings but it's enough for him to know something isn't right and he looks around but can't exactly locate where the looming threat may be.

He heard a brief noise that was also coming from the corner of his eye. He instantly draws his double revolver and aims at in the direction where the sound came from.

Even on guard, Rocky's instincts stopped being alert and he felt like whatever was there is either gone or move further away.

He remained still and aimed his revolver at the direction.

"Something wrong, young man?" The old woman asked, being aware of Rocky suddenly stopping and aiming his gun at something that doesn't seem to be there.

"It's nothing." He assured her. "I suggest you find a place to stay. This isn't a place for old ladies to come and about, especially at night."

"I understand what you're suggesting and I'm grateful for your concern." She responded. "But I know what I'm doing."

"You sure about that?" Rocky asked her. Being unsure if she's really sincere or being a bit overconfident. "Because it sounds like you're biting off far more than you can chew, especially if the possible threat is a 7 foot thug that wields a giant club and eats nails for breakfast... without any milk".

"Oh you haven't seen what I can bite off against what I fought in my life." She remarked.

_"Man... this lady has so much sass. Just what has she been through?" _Rocky thought.

The woman than looked towards back towards the spot where the sound came from and turned her goggles to night vision to see if there is anyone there. She narrowed her eyes as she saw nothing.

"Trust me." She assured him. "I don't see anyone. Even if there was someone there and wanted to mug us, I don't have anything for them so trying to kill me would achieve them nothing." She said. "Besides, I don't have much longer to live so whatever they plan to do to me would just be doing me a favor." She sarcastically added.

"That's… kinda dark, miss." Rocky said rather shocked how she doesn't sound scared.

"You have no idea what I've been through." She added. She isn't far off from the truth, considering what she has in fact been through… especially that one incident that forever changed her life….

Rocky didn't know what to say to that. He just nodded and rolled with it.

Once they reached the other side of the street, he finally got the old lady to the other side of the street.

"Thank you kindly, young man." The old woman says as she politely thanked him for helping her.

"No prob. Just helping you out because you asked." Rocky says and looked back at the road which "Though… it kinda looked like you would have crossed it pretty easily by yourself. Not saying it's bad or anything. Just saying if I or anyone else wasn't here, you could've crossed it pretty easily too."

"Oh how sweet of you." Maria said, slightly flattered how this young man sees she's capable of handling herself.

"Well, I'm a bit flattered but I think you're sugar coating it a little bit…. _grandma_.." He replied and added emphasis on the last one.

The old lady wasn't offended and chuckled.

"Well, that's coming from someone who gave up his pizza for a woman and her children." She smirked with a raised eyebrow.

That surprised Rocky of hearing what she just said.

"Were you… spying on me?" He asked suspiciously towards the elderly woman.

"If you want to see it that way." She responded sarcastically but in a playful manner. "But, honestly, no. I just came across you by coincidence and my artificial goggles have zoomed in on you and seeing your act of generosity."

"So basically…. you were spying on me." He answered sarcastically but was smirking at her.

She couldn't help but let out a guffaw. "Guess you got me there." She admitted. "But that doesn't dodge the truth of your selfless act. Right?"

Rocky couldn't dodge that one and nodded his head. "Yeah… I basically did that."

"Quite a rarity in places like this, isn't it?" She softly says.

"Yes..." He admitted. This place is too unfair, for human or faunus." He simply stated.

The two remained silent for several seconds.. Until Rocky decided to move on. Well, nice knowing you and see you later." He waved with his back turned and kept moving on.

The old lady smiled and watched him go.

She's been around many parts of Remnant, for several decades of her life, where she's seen many people struggle to survive and find food, let alone being able to given food and money by people who do have food and money.

As he was out of her sight, the old lady continued to stare at the path in silence but than frowned a little as if she's deep in thought. She walked in a different direction.

Nearby, on a rooftop, the being that was spying on Rocky who continued to follow him. The old lady, seeing her as nothing but old baggage. His only target is Rocky and he's gonna have his moment he's been waiting for so long.

Close by, in the shadows of the alley, three humanoid silhouettes came out of the darkness and into the shining moonlight. They turn out to be three humans wearing ninja garb that are pitch black that helps them easily blend in the shadows. They stayed still and their suits hid their body temperature form being detected by the old lady. Their garbs were black but they also have a grey symbol on their chests which resembles the eye of a snake.

* * *

**10 minutes later.**

Rocky continued down the road to his hideout but he's still being on guard and alert. He knows the further he goes down, the more dangerous and risky it gets to encounter either some petty thug that wants his money or some highly organized gang with a more complex and deeper reason that involves him (which is pretty much the Spiders at this point).

But he knows somebody is following him… because he feels a major sense of deja vu that has happened many times before for the past few years.

Almost like… he's gonna meet someone he has met pretty often and is gonna have a reunion.

Rocky stopped in the middle of the street which was completely empty and silent, since it's past bedtime and most people are asleep or avoiding the thieves and thugs.

After standing still for nearly a minute, through the rather tense silence…. Rocky suddenly grabbed one of his Double Revolvers and instantly aimed it over his shoulder towards the direction his back is facing and pulls the trigger.

Instead of firing a dust-enhanced bullet, like he did to Quickdraw, he shot a regular bullet (one that's a 12.9 mm) towards his target, without even looking and aiming.

He wasn't really intending a real shot. This was a test shot against someone he will likely meet tonight… again.

And, once again, for many years, he's right.

Just as the bullet left the barrel and went straight for the target Rocky aimed for, another loud bang was heard and something was heading towards the bullet head on.

It was another bullet fired from another gun and from an upward angle.

In a tenth of a second after the shot was made, the two bullets collided head on. The impact was so strong it created a tiny but visible shockwave. Time slowed down as the two bullets started to slowly cave in on each other until they were flattened to that of quarters.

Due to the collision, they both lost their momentum and velocity that they fell straight to the ground with audible clinking sounds like spilling loose change on a sidewalk.

Rocky stares at the now useless bullets for a second than turned his attention towards where the other bullet came from.

There was somebody on top of a nearby roof with the moon shining right behind him and he's standing there, giving off a pose while holding his own single barreled revolver which could rival Rocky's in size and firepower.

The attacker reveals himself to be a coyote faunus with a light brown, messy, hair and a brown coyote tail that swishes behind him. Around his yellow eyes, are red eyeshadow that somewhat gives him a rather dastardly look, despite looking only around the age of 19.

He's wearing what looks like some kind of black advanced, skin tight, bodysuit, with light purple hexagon patterns. It hugs his body tightly and shows off his athletic figure, along with a pair of brown running shoes that are suited for running long distances.

His emblem, located on his skin tight suit's chest area, is the letter "W" that's surrounded by what looks like tiny orbs that appear to orbit around it like protons and neutrons over an atom. Basically, it's an atomic structure but with a "W".

Rocky narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but smirk at the faunus.

"Well…. It seems we meet yet again…. Wily Coyote."

The new opponent, revealed to be Wily, smiles back, showing bits of his sharp teeth

But than he did unexpectedly with his weapon; Instead of putting his weapon back in the holster, which he visibly lacks, the weapon suddenly glowed brightly and floated out of his hand. The gun started to disassemble, taken apart, and dissolved into a cloud of metallic dust that floats around Wily until it gets absorbed into his body.

"Technopathy." Rocky says out loud, despite nobody else being around. "That is his semblance. It has the ability to manipulate technology by a mere touch and he can morph any piece of tech, small or large, primitive or advanced, into anything he wishes and uses it to great effect."

"Hmph!" Wily grunts as he does an impressive front flip and than flipped in mid air four more times before landing on his two feet on the ground, doing an epic pose upon landing..

"You got that right." The coyote faunus answered in a voice that sounded full of confidence, knowledge, and cockiness all mixed into one. Almost making him sound like some kind of insufferable genius. "Is is I! Wily Coyote! Super talented and gifted genius! Best marksman in all of Ani-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rocky interrupted and didn't sound interested. "You already said that to me many times, word for word, even."

Despite hearing Rocky's bored response, Wily wasn't finished and continued his speech.

"-Best marksman in all of Anima. Until YOU have bested and surpassed me as the best marksman in all of Anima!" He continued on.

Rocky wasn't amused and then turned his sight away from Wily and towards a different direction. Wily was confused and also turned his direction but saw nobody there.

"Yeah. To all of you wondering about this guy; let's just say he's pretty much my rival in this story. Cliche as that is, that's how it's written."

Wily raised an eyebrow at Rocky turning his head away from his him and looking at a different direction as if he's staring at someone else but there's no one there.

"Let me show you all how our rivalry began, why don't we?"

* * *

**Mistral. 2 years ago. **

The flashback takes place in Mistral, where it's noon and the sun was at its peak. There was a festival and all kinds of games and activities were made and performed.

Including one was the kind that started the rivalry.

Out in the middle of an open field, on top of a hill, not far from the kingdom. There is a high level of human and fanus activity that is having fun and enjoying the festival.

It's a festival where everyone can have a good time and enjoy themselves.

But there is one person who has a different goal.

Standing out in an open field was Wily, wearing casual clothing and looking more well kept and groomed in his looks.

He was gonna do an awesome stunt that caught the attention of many people and fans.

"Ladies and gentleman!" Wily announced to his audience that were waiting and watching in anticipation. "To one and all, come and watch as I, Wily Coyote, perform an epic feat that, you would think that's impossible, will blow you away!" He says that was pretty much milking it and really hamming it out of proportion.

That still pique the curiosity of the crowd that wanted to watch. But there was someone else in the crowd who was watching as well and there was a mohawk sticking out from the crowd.

Wily grinned since he got everyone's attention and turns his focus on the targets.

Out in the field are his targets which have the typical red and white spirals. They are placed in many spots and in different ways. Some are placed on the ground, some are on hung by ropes, and some are even moving targets which are held up by spinning propellers which are made from his semblance nanites to make them move around.

There are a total of 50 targets, with 15 of them flying in midair. And he's gonna shoot each and all of them dead center in the fastest record time he can break.

His nanites swirl around his hand and forms into a revolver for his stunt and takes aim.

Each target that he placed in front of him all vary in distance, height, angle, and the speed of the ones that are moving.

Before he was ready, Wily pulls out his scroll and inserts bits of his nanites into the scroll which shifted and shaped into some kind of floating device with a screen that shows a timer which will automatically time him without needing him or anyone doing it for him.

Wily stood still and focused. Taking a deep breath. In and out. In and out.

In…. and out.

Than he pops his eyes open and aims his revolver in a flash.

As he fired his first shot, he instantly aimed his revolver at another target before the first bullet could even hit the first target. Just as that bullet was halfway to it's target, Wily already shot his third shot which was before the first and second bullets hit their targets.

Once the first bullet hits the target, Wily already shot his fourth bullet.

The crowd watches in awe and excitement as Wily never missed a beat in shooting all over the place, in every direction, and angle, that only the best marksman could pull a feat like that with maximum effort but Wily is doing it rather easily.

He shot a total of 50 shots, thanks to his technopathy where he doesn't need to reload his revolver he can just automatically reload without having to stop shooting. If he wanted to, he could even make a revolver with a cylinder to hold fifty bullets.

After the last shot, he took a gander at his work. He has hit every target that he has intended to be, right in the deadcenter of the painted targets even.

His scroll hovered over to him and confirmed he shot all targets dead center.

He then looked at the timer.

**5.25 seconds. **

All targets shot in less than five and a half seconds.

The crowd applauded and Wily smugly grins at his work.

But someone was still clapping, even after everyone else stopped.

Wily turned his attention towards whoever was still clapping for him.

Standing in the crowd was a roadrunner faunus with a mohawk and seemed like he stands out among many, due to his outfit and hairstyle.

He walks up to Wily until the two were two feet away from each and stared at each other in silence.

"So… you here to watch or are you here for a different reason, _pal_?" Wily says as he sized himself up to Rocky.

"Oh I sure am here for a reason, at least right after I saw what you just did." Rocky responded.

"And what would that be?" Wily asks with a raised eyebrow.

"After seeing that stunt of yours, it made me think I want to give it a try as well." Rocky answers.

The audience gasped in surprise and even felt excited of another stunt that's about to happen, from this roadrunner faunus who came out of nowhere and wants to challenge Wily, no less.

Wily didn't looked shocked at all and actually grinned, as if he's liking the guts on this new guy but his own arrogance and pride assures himself this newbie can no way outdo his feat that he just did and set a new record.

"Alrighty then!" Wily agreed as he guides Rocky over to the very spot he shot his gun and hit the targets.

"It's simple, really; Just do what I did and see if you can beat me in record time, getting all the bullseyes included."

"Okay." Rocky says and gets out his revolver but Wily notices the cylinder can only contain about 25 but he has an idea.

"Hand me your gun. Since I'm being a good sport and trying to make it fair." Wily demanded.

Rocky follows the order and hands him his revolver. Wily than used his semblance to force his nanites into it and, to the amazement of Rocky and everyone else, to disassemble and reassemble.

He handed back the revolver and Rocky now notices the cylinder now has the capacity to hold 50 bullets.

"It's only temporary." Wily stated. "Once you finish your fifty shots, your revolver will go back to holding only 25 bullets."

Rocky nodded and took his revolver back. What surprised him that the gun weighs exactly the same as before, despite having a slightly larger cylinder to hold more bullets.

Wily sure has an interesting semblance.

Rocky stands in place and prepares to shoot as the timer hovers nearby, waiting for Rocky to make his first shot.

Like what Wily did, Rocky was taking deep breaths. In and out. In and out.

In…. and out.

Than he shoots.

Just like Wily, he shot a second and third bullet before the first bullet hit it's target.

But as the first bullet was a foot away from hitting the target, Rocky already shot a fourth and fifth towards his other targets.

In a very short amount of time, Rocky finished his round of using all 50 bullets on all the targets.

Wily's scroll scans all the targets and the time it took. It confirms Rocky has hit all the targets dead center but what surprised everyone, especially Wily, was the time it took.

**5.05 seconds.**

Rocky managed to outdo Wily by a hairline.

The whole crowd that watched the whole thing let out a loud cheer and gathered around Rocky who was only slightly flattered by their approval but didn't take advantage of it.

However…. Wily was in complete disbelief of just watching the very thought of nobody surpassing his marksmanship skills which are impossible… became possible.

"I… eh… wha…. How….?" Wily says in complete disbelief, as he fell to his knees, unable to process the right words to say.

Than after a few seconds of comprehending what just happened, his face comically turned red and steam bursts out of his ears like he's super pissed.

While he was really pissed at first, he eventually calmed down and breathed calmly.

He stood back up and calmly walked towards Rocky who turned his attention towards the coyote faunus.

"I must say… you actually did an excellent job. I fact, you surpassed me and my record."

Rocky was a bit flattered and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"No problemo. Just wanted to have fun. I must say, the gap between us isn't that far so we're pretty even… that is, I'm ahead of you." Rocky says with a little bit of smugness added to the last part.

"Wily momentarily had his eye twitch but Rocky didn't notice. "That I see. So why don't we put it there?" Wily asked as he put his hand out, asking for a good handshake.

Rocky looked skeptical for a second but shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't see what's wrong with that. It's just a sport anyways." Rocky said as he grabs Wily's hand and shakes it.

Though, despite the firm shake… Rocky noticed Wily was really gripping on his hand… perhaps a little too tight for his comfort and it even started to slightly ache the longer they shook hands. Rocky raised his eyebrow and looked into Wily's but the coyote faunus seemed pretty calm and looked like he was being a good sport.

Underneath that exterior… there lies an angry soul who felt his pride and ego heavily dented like a tin can and feels like wanting to reclaim that pride and ego that he had for so long.

"You know. If you have time, maybe we could spare again some other day?" Wily asked innocently.

"Sure, why not?" Rocky answered back. Though, despite seeing that Wily looks innocent… he suddenly feels something in the air that feels off and a little heavy.

The two let go of their handshake and stare at each other for a few more seconds.

"Well. I gotta get going. The reason I stopped here was because I had some spare time but now I gotta skedaddle somewhere off." Rocky says but sounds a little disappointed.

"Fine with me." Wily noted. "Either it's you or I that will find each other and spare again."

"I'll keep that in mind." Rocky said with a smile and starts walking off somewhere else. "Well, see ya."

"See ya." Wily said back as he watches his rival move on.

Though, despite looking cool and fine, Wily was fuming on the inside and his pupils slightly shrunk as he stared at Rocky walking away.

"Mark my words, Rocky… I WILL surpass you and show you what it feels like being bested where you least expect it…." Wily muttered silently enough to not let Rocky hear him.

Though, as Rocky walked further away, he turned his head once more.

"And there you have it." Said Rocky. "That's where our rivalry began."

And so, as the years gone by, the two have occasionally spared but it's Rocky that's always bested Wily, even if by a hairline. Wily could not accept that, no matter how close the gap was. He WANTED to surpass Rocky.

But it only got worse from there; The friendly sparring matches at sharpshooting eventually been replaced with actual fighting based sparring. But like before, Rocky always won, even by a hairline where he's at his limit once he beaten Wily.

The only thing about Wily was that he never quit. No matter how hopeless or futile it seemed to come even close to actually winning, Wily knows he's always just one tiny step behind Rocky when they finish their matches. Showing even Rocky has his limits so that makes Wily more determined to beat him.

Besides, the more time they spend together in their matches, the stronger and more skilled they both become. Even their semblances heavily improved. But that also drives Wily closer to wanting to kill Rocky too because he can barely stand his smugness for so long.

However, he suddenly widened his eyes as if he realized something.

"Wait a second..." He calmly says until his eyes widened in realization. "Fourth wall break inside a fourth wall break! That's like… sixteen walls!" He spouted out loud as if he was shocked out of his wits.

* * *

**Present**

"Anyways." Rocky insisted. "I think we should get back on track with this story."

However, this didn't go unnoticed by Wily.

"Now wait just a second there…" Wily says towards Rocky with a raised eyebrow and feeling confused at hearing Rocky talking about their past to someone else but he doesn't see anyone there. "Just what are you talking about and why are you projecting in that direction when there's nobody there?" He asked, a bit confused.

"Nothing!" Rocky turns back to Wily and grins. "Anyways, so you've came back to challenge me again… after I've defeated you, like what, two hundred and fifty four times?"

"THIS time will be different!" Wily boasted at Rocky, quickly getting over Rocky's odd behavior, as he always found Rocky odd, despite his impressive skills.

"Oh really?" Rocky grinned. "Isn't that the last time you've told me? And the time before that? And before that, and before that, and before that, and before that, aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd before that?" He droned on like he's starting to pester Wily.

"True." Wily admitted but still smirked. "I may have said that many times which makes it eventually seem redundant. But I'm feeling it within my soul that it really WILL be different."

"Alright than." Rocky now accepted the challenge and just rolled with it since he's gotten used to it. "Don't take it hard on me if you get your ass handed on a silver platter… again."

"Oh trust me." Wily grinned that showed off his sharp teeth and his pupils slightly shrunk as if he's gonna enjoy this. "It will be YOU that will have his ass served."

"Oh really?" Rocky smirked back. "I may not be a psychic but the future is telling me you will be tasting soil rich dirt with a side of raw worms!"

Wily smugly raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Not if you're six feet under and the worms are eating you're decomposing corpse first."

"_Ooookay… that's rather dark." _Rocky thought, slightly disturbed but decided to roll with it. He might be joking anyways... right?

The two decided to end their sass and stare each other down, waiting for the other to make the wrong move that can make a difference between life and death.

It was now deathly quiet in the middle of town. If there was anybody around to witness this showdown between two faunus, than it would've been an interesting night for them.

Rocky and Wily were both smirking at each other, each daring the other to make a move and see what happens. Despite their smug grins, they were actually fully focused and tensed.

A showdown was about to happen between them….

"NOPE!"

In an instant, Rocky turned a complete 180 and sprinted like a mad man, in the opposite direction and away from Wily.

This confused Wily as he watched Rocky run off from him but he came to his senses and also started sprinting after him.

"Hey! Get back here! I didn't tell you to run away!" Wily shouted and gave chase. "What are you?! Some kind of coward all of a sudden?!"

The two faunus were now running through Kuchinashi in the middle of the night and it's gonna get interesting.

Though, they weren't alone as the three ninjas slipped out of the shadows.

They watched from a distance, as they spot Rocky and Wily taking off int

One of the ninjas lifts up his arm and reveals some kind of wrist attached device that resembles a cross between a scroll and a watch.

The ninja presses a button which shows a hologram of that takes the shape of a humanoid figure but appears to be a silhouette. The only visible thing are a pair of glowing eyes.

"My lord." The ninja, presumed to be the one leading the squad.

"**Did you find him?"** Said the voice from the hologram that sounded low pitched and sinister.

"We have." The ninja says as he's assured. "We managed to track him and he's being pursued by another faunus."

"**Ignore the other faunus. Only engage him if he gets in the way. The Roadrunner faunus is the target. He has something that I greatly need." **Said the figure that sounded like he has no concern but Rocky that he seems to be focused on. **"You have two options here; kill him or capture him. If anyone interferes, including the other faunus that is chasing him, kill them. **

"Understood." The ninja says and is about to deactivate his wrist scroll, his boss… gave him a warning.

"**But…. if you fail me, you and your cohorts will suffer serious consequences that I have in store for you. Are we clear?"**

"Crystal." The ninja replied rather calmly.

The hologram disappears and the wrist mounted scroll turns off.

He looks at his two cohorts and nods to them. All three shapeshift into their shadow forms. This time, they slither and leap across the walls and rooftops of the buildings. Following the roadrunner faunus. Keeping their distance but managed to follow them close enough.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

The chase between roadrunner and coyote continued down the street and alleys of the more ghetto part of Kuchinashi. Wily was sprinting as fast he can but Rocky seems more at ease when he's running like he doesn't look winded or taking deep breaths.

"How long you gonna run from me?!" Wily shouted.

"Oh I don't know" Rocky casually says back. "All night. Maybe till morning. Possibly all day too. Would be lucky if we could get to tomorrow night as well."

Wily had a tick mark growing on his head at hearing how casual Rocky sounds… no, he's always sounded like that everytime they spared and fought.

He always had that grin and happy demeanor on his face

What makes it difficult for Wily here… is that he's not used to chasing his opponents.

Yes, out of all the fights Wily ever had with Rocky, it was always fighting him up close, from a distance, or even during their sparring days before it was reduced to fighting.

But this is different; Rocky never ran. Those two had always fought directly, up close or from afar, it felt the same, two hundred and fifty four times total.

But now… chasing your opponent feels different….. MUCH different.

It almost feels foreign to him. Always fighting an opponent that comes at him or tries to hit him from afar. But… seeing someone run away from him…

It's almost… like a predator chasing its prey.

This may feel different, but Wily also feels eager and interested in this new challenge. He's gonna beat Rocky, whenever if it's just beating him.. Or killing him.

Either way, he's gonna get his title back as the best Marksman in all of Anima.

The two continued to move through the narrow streets and alleys, never slowing down or losing their footing over the debris that litters the streets. Not even a few fences and walls can stop them as they can easily jump over or getting around them.

Tired of chasing the goofball, Wily decides to up the ante a bit.

His nanites activate again and form around his hands that turn into sub-machine guns in both of his hands. He opens fire and peppers the alleyways and streets with bullets.

At first, Rocky tried swerving around them as best as he could, at least for a little bit until he started struggling to dodge many more when Wily suddenly upgraded them now looking like miniature miniguns which unleash even more bullets.

Rocky had no choice but to use his special moves….

Suddenly, Rocky is now suddenly dodging the onslaught of bullets much more easily.. in a more odd way.

Rocky is now swerving, ducking, rolling, flipping, twisting, twirling, and moving in such odd ways to avoid the bullets. Almost like the movement is uncanny.

But what's even more weird is that he's making some goofy noises coming out of his mouth…

"WOO HOO WOO HOO WOO HOO!"

It's almost like he's being… LOONEY.

This turns out to be Rocky's semblance in action... called Toonforce.

A very rare and unusual semblance that, even to this day, is very hard to understand and comprehend to this day. That's because this is the only known semblance in existence and that current known user is Rocky himself.

Basically, according to Rocky, he can somehow defy the laws of physics, and to a far minor extent, a little bit of the laws of reality. Though, the only way for his semblance to work... is when the "moment" is suppose to be funny. It can still work to an extent in situations that are not funny but it becomes less effective and useful.

"In layman's terms; I can only be silly when it's suppose to be silly. Ain't much use if the situation is too dramatic or sad!" Rocky spouted out loud which Wily could hear him again.

Wily just doesn't understand. Why is he talking like it's normal and saying they are being watched by "The audience" when there's nobody there, especially right now when he's being shot at?!

it wasn't really surprising much anymore for Wily, However. He's seen this odd behavior before, many times, when they spared, especially when Rocky starts acting silly. He's starting to consider Rocky is just a little oddball... coming from his who wants to kill Rocky.

Eventually, Wily ceased fire as he wanted to spare some nanites for something greater. Luckily, the alleys and buildings that are filled with holes have been abandoned so nobody got shot.

Wily changed tactics once he noticed Rocky is heading towards a stone wall that's a dead end. He formed a wrist mounted device which fires some kind of projectile which reveals to be a net armed with rockets to propel it forward and spikes to dig against the wall.

Sadly, for Wily, Rocky ran up the wall like he's defying gravity. Heck, he's not even putting effort getting up that wall….

The net slammed against the wall with the spikes impaling it but it has zero catches. It instantly dissolves back into nanites and heads back to Wily as he reabsorbs them.

Wily followed Rocky by creating springs under his feet and leaps upwards onto the rooftops of the buildings. Now the two are on the rooftops, parkouring and leaping across them.

Wily than takes another approach by miniature home seeking rockets that lock onto Rocky but they are easily countered by Rocky's bullets which explode but are far enough in the air to not damage any buildings.

The scuffle eventually ended with Rocky jumping down an alley but reaches out and grabs a right clothesline and does some impressive acrobatic gymnastics.

As he was swinging and flipping down the alley on the clotheslines and metal poles, he was recalling a training event that helped him be this acrobatic.

* * *

**7 years ago.**

At the age of 12, a young Rocky is seen in some wide open room that's dark but with one large ceiling light shining down on the area that he's in.

He's wearing a tight body suit to help be as aerodynamic as possible in his training.

He's seen gripping tightly on a gymnastic bar as he did several flips and spins on it until he let go, somersaulted in midair, gripped the bar again and repeats.

Shortly after, he's now doing some gymnastic rings, easily twisting and twirling in midair while gripping those rings into his hands.

He's then seen on the horse pommel doing more gymnastics with his arms and twisting his lower body. Even doing some handstands on occasion for extra balance.

The last training montage shows him doing another stunt as he sprints forward, does several front flips, vaults off the vault horse, and does several epic somersaults and lands on his feet. A perfect score.

"Very good, Rocky!" Shouted a booming voice in a thick russian accent.

Rocky turned to the direction of the voice and saw a burly figure in the shadows due to the spotlight he's in so the figure's face is hidden in the shadows.

Rocky couldn't help but smile at hearing the praise of the man that he sees before.

"Impressive. Most impressive. You exceeded my expectations way beyond than I could ever imagine.

"Yeah.. thanks." Rocky says but still smiles.

"Keep this up and we'll be bringing in more fans, more fame, more fortune, but especially more success!"

Rocky nodded and smiled. Actually liking his trainer's bombastic attitude and approval towards him.

"In doing such a great job for you performance, you can have this as your reward!"

He tosses a large rectangular box towards Rocky who easily catches it. He opens the box and gets a good whiff… of PIZZA!

Rocky drools at the sight of the delicious meal he's about to have as his reward. The bearded man grins and heads off somehwere else while Rocky gets to dig in and devours his pizza reward.

* * *

**Present.**

With those memories in tact, Rocky puts his acrobatic skills to good use and continues swinging with grace and finesse without spending too much energy and without losing his momentum.

Not far behind, Wily enters the narrow alleyways and uses his technopathy to help him maneuver through and around any obstacles that get in the way. Heck, even break through them, if he has to, by ramming or cutting them.

As Rocky was swinging and doing more epic acrobatics that helped him twirl and catapult with such grace and skill that it's like he's flying. Wily was using his nanites in many ways to help him maneuver through the narrow building alleys to keep up with Rocky. Sometimes, he makes a slide which he slid down to create enough momentum to launch up and than creates several floating step platforms to leap and hop from one another. He even made four metal tentacles on his back to maneuver through the alleyway more easily.

Wily also decided another offensive approach towards Rocky. His nanites started forming around him that took the shape of spheres. The metallic spheres opened up and became spinning blades that darted towards Rocky like a pair of flying buzzsaws.

"Well this ain't gonna _cut _it!" Rocky joked as he saw the flying buzzsaws home in on him. He quickly did a midair somersault and draws his revolvers again. In the middle of his somersault, he was upside down and takes aim at the projectiles and shoots.

To his shock, the bullets were sliced and diced by the spinning blades which had no effect on them.

"Well… _shoot." _Rocky muttered again at the surprise.

He swings and flips several more times ahead and tries another approach.

The cylinders from both of his revolvers spin again. This time, his right revolver mixes a bullet with poison and water dust, while the other revolver mixes earth dust with lightning dust.

He fires off several bullets that were in dark purple and brownish yellow. The buzzsaws that were hit by the dark purple bullets were reduced to melted and corroded scrap metal.

Acid Dust.

The brownish yellow bullets that hit the buzzsaws were sliced to dust but that covered the buzzsaws which caused them to be attracted to each other and slam into each other which caused them to shred each other apart.

Magnetic Dust.

The buzzsaws that weren't corroded were reabsorbed into Wily and continued to chase Rocky, leaving behind the corroded buzzsaws. Wily just went back to shooting with sub machine guns which Rocky managed to avoid the bullets with ease but occasionally got nicked but his aura protected him from serious injury.

Eventually, the two stopped swinging in the alleys and got back on the rooftops but it didn't last long as they were now heading to a large flight of spiral staircases that leads to a higher section of Kuchinashi.

The two jumped off the buildings and ran up the stairs but Rocky was far ahead going up the stairs that Wily was starting to lag behind. The coyote faunus ditched the stairs by jumping from the edge and created a miniature helicopter propeller from his back which sent him upward and caught Rocky in his sight. This time he created a grenade launcher and fired off many shots of airborne grenades that blew off large chunks of the stairs and even pieces of the giant pillar that the stairs spiral around.

Rocky fires back at the grenades with regular bullets which harmlessly explode in midair, despite creating powerful winds from the explosions. The conflict kept going until Rocky reached the top.

"Okay. I think it's time to get you grounded!" Rocky shouted.

He decided to end the scuffle by managing to hit the helicopter propeller which damaged it enough for Wily to spiral out of control and crashed at the edge of the next city.

But what's ironic was that he skidded across the ground… face first.

As the skidding came to a stop, Wily slowly got up but he opened his mouth as a huge pile of dirt and worms spilled out of his mouth.

"Yuck! PHOOEY!" Wily sputtered as he spit out the dirt and worms, while rubbing his hands across his tongue to get off whatever else is on his tongue. He even got a dust crystal out, popped it in his mouth like some kind of breath mint, activated it with his aura. The water dust crystal dissolved and filled his mouth with water which he gargled and swished in his mouth, to get the remaining dirt and pieces of worm in his mouth and spit it all out.

"Ha! I told you, you would be eating dirt with a side of raw worms!" Rocky taunted nearby and then started running again.

Wily glared and looked more angry than before and gives chase again.

Up here in this section, it's more fancy, with moderate buildings and being more lively with far less poverty. The two continued their chase through the city which is now more lively and people on the streets saw the two faunus running through the streets and past them.

Wily kept shooting at Rocky, but he was careful not to accidentally shoot any. He may want to upstage Rocky… maybe even kill him but he ain't gonna harm innocent civilians because they have nothing to do with him.

The two went further in the city, they entered an area that was starting to get a little misty and foggy that it was getting hard to see through. They eventually came across a what looks like a hot spring that was located further in the mountain, further near the face of said mountain.

Due to the cooler altitude and being nighttime, the hot springs warmer temperature clashed with the cooler air that created a thick steamy fog that made it a little difficult to see through but not enough to blind the two faunus as they used their faunus senses to navigate through the fog.

Eventually, they came across what looks like a hot spring that's surrounded by wooden walls and there was a nearby tree that grew out diagonally so that made it easier to run across it.

Without even thinking the two faunus ran up the tree which made them level the 30 foot wooden wall and leaped into the hot spring…..

The fog is too thick to see through, from a bird's eye view, but one could hear the sound of loud splashing from within the hot spring… and a lot of feminine wails and banter.

There is a sign near the entrance that's also the exit that says "Kuchinashi's Divine Hot Spring. Ladies' section."

Uh…..

"Coming through!" Shouted Rocky.

"KYAAAA!" Screamed what sounded like a woman in shock and fright.

"Scuse me!" Said Wily in a polite manner.

"Perverts!" Shouted another sound that sounded like an angry woman with a tomboyish tone.

"Gang way!" Rocky shouted, again.

"Don't look at me!" Shouted another feminine voice that sounded embarrassed.

"Pardon me, ladies~!" Wily apologized but sounded like he was enjoying something.

"Oh my!" Said another feminine voice that sounded surprised.

"Outta my way!" Shouted Rocky once more as he was almost out of the hot spring and to the exit.

"What's happening?!" Shouted another woman that sounded confused.

"Oh… are _those_ real~?" Asked Wily who sounded like he saw something that caught his attention and interest.

SMACK!

A loud sound of something getting slapped echoed across the hot spring.

"Ow! I was referring to your pearl necklace!" Wily shouted and sounded like he was in pain and annoyance.

Aft Rocky is now seen running out of the the hot spring, though the exit… with a rather big dumb grin on his face and his face was as red as a tomatoe and, for some reason, he was bleeding from the nose. While still running at a moderate pace, he turned his head to the side and gave a big cheesy grin.

"Bet you folks are wondering what I saw… and tell you, I never shall!" He taunted and kept running.

Not far behind, also comes out Wily. He too has a dumb grin on his face. His face is a bit red and he too, for some reason, is bleeding from the nose. But he also has what looks like some red hand print on the side of his left cheek that looks like it stings.

Wily ignored the stinging pain of the handprint on his face, as he used some of his aura to heal it up, which slowly disappeared.

He turned his attention back to Rocky who is still pretty far ahead in the chase and is almost out of Wily's sights… and Wily is starting to feel even more aggravated of being humiliated, once more, by Rocky being one step ahead of him again… he will not rest or give up until he evens the score… no… outperforms Rocky and proves he's the better of the two.

Unfortunately, this kind of petty act of the desire to best Rocky is slowly becoming his downfall….

Wily continues his chase with Rocky down the alley and decides to amp it up with his semblance to keep up with the quicker roadrunner faunus.

The nanites appeared around Wily again and started snake and form around his feet.

In no time, they took the form of some kind of metal boots with wheels and rocket boosters at the back.

Rocket Skates!

Without even needing a button to push, he activates them and the rockets roar to life, creating a powerful turbulence of jet fuel that propels Wily forward at such speeds that he was easily catching up to Rocky.

Rocky was already fast on his two feet, thanks to being a roadrunner faunus but he's also using a bit of his semblance to enhance is speed a little bit more that his legs were moving so quickly they were becoming blurry and looking like he had wheels for legs. He's moving so fast that he creates a decently strong gust of wind behind him that can easily send small debris flying and humorously.

Wily was keeping up and even starting to slowly outpace his rival that he'll eventually catch him. This time, he forms a combat rifle and takes aim through the scope and crosshairs, trying to land a shot by hitting the legs to trip him.

That is… Rocky suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, moved slightly out of the way… and comically stuck his leg out while giving a rather trollish grin on his face as if he's gonna pull a big prank.

"I'm about to cause a wipeout." Rocky grinned and sounded like he was gonna enjoy this.

Wily saw what Rocky was doing and his eyes cartoonishly bulged out in fright.

"OH SHI-!" Wily screamed but couldn't finish his curse in time as he comically tripped over Rocky's leg and starts tumbling head over heels down the street until he crashed into the wall and left a deep, Wily shaped, hole in it, mouth wide open and tongue hanging out included. Inside the building, which turns out to be a restaurant, Wily is seen sprawled across a broken table, covered in waffles, maple syrup, whip cream, blueberries, strawberries, and a banana.

All the customers and employess were shocked of what just happened of seeing a coyote faunus bursting through the wall and smashed into a table that was seriving a plate of waffles with everything you can ask for on top of it.. and now it's ruined that the customer that ordered those waffles were peeved.

"I want a refund!" Yelled the angry customer that lost his opportunity to enjoy some waffles.

Rocky ran through the hole and up to Wily, smugly grinning at him. He flicks his tongue out a few times until he hovered in midair and wiggles his feet while saying "Meep Meep!"

He zips out of the building and dashes down the streets and towards the nearby stairs that leads to the higher levels of the city. He's planning to head to the upper part of the city where there are more buildings to move around from but also to avoid the more vulnerable citizens down below getting in the crossfire. Most people up here have better security and shelters so it lowers the risks of civilian casualties, even if by a little.

Rocky eventually reached a giant escalator made of stone and metal that's powered by dust, that is known to carry lots of people up and down the mountain but it's night so there are less people around.

Just as Rocky reached the escalator, he heard something flying towards him and flips out of the way. A shuriken whizzed past him and pierces the ground.

Wily widened his eyes as he saw a fire dust symbol on it. The symbol on the shuriken blinks a bright red and a beeping sound was heard.

BOOM!

Rocky managed to leap out of the way in time before the shuriken exploded which tore up the ground and left a sizable crater.

He heard another shuriken come towards him but he countered with his revolver and shot a bullet at the shuriken in midair which caused the explosive star to explode which only sent dust scattering but no damage to the surroundings.

Another shuriken comes towards him but this one has a snowflake symbol on it (not the Schnee Dust symbol, a simple snowflake). He shot it but the shuriken exploded which formed into a large ball of ice and he had to shoot it dead center to cause it to shatter to tiny fragments.

Rocky looked around but no one was there but he knows there's somebody nearby that's trying.

"_Seriously." _Rocky thought in annoyance after attacked, yet again, that's likely another group of people that are after his skin. _"Just how many people am I gonna meet tonight that wants my head?!" _

Before he could think any further, he dodged a kunai that had what looked like some kind of piece of paper attached to it that shows what looks like a purple skull on it.

A paper bomb that's laced with Poison Dust.

Rocky had to leap back but the bomb exploded which released a thick cloud of toxic purple dust that could quickly paralyze and kill you in a manner of minutes.

This is bad. Even if Rocky stays away from the smoke, it could kill innocent lives here so he needs to get rid of it.

With quick thinking, he draws one of his double barrel revolvers and flips a switch, causing the cylinder and a secondary cylinder within the first to rotate several times. The two cylinders link and a bullet is injected with a small vial of Wind Dust.

Rocky is gonna blow the poison cloud away which will scatter and dissipate it, along with sending skywards and away from the buildings to prevent civilian casualties.

But before he could pull the trigger, in the corner of his eye, he saw several shadows darting around him and one of them sped toward him. It morphed into a ninja and tried to strike him down with a drawn katana.

Rocky rolled out of the way but then came across a female ninja with a kusarigama who tried to smash his head with the spiked mace ball at one end of the chain. The roadrunner faunus leaned his head out of the way and grabbed the chain.

He attempted to counter but the female ninja was a step ahead of him and yanked her chain back which caused Rocky to stumble forward which left him open for a third ninja to come out with a pair of gauntlets tipped with claw like blades and also appears to be wearing some kind of devices attached to his feet that also tipped with sharp blades as if they claws for the feet.

This ninja was wildly swinging, with his arms and legs, with such grace and ferocity, that Rocky was on the defense of ducking, weaving, and dodging anyway he can to avoid damage, even if his aura could take it. He's not taking the risk.

Just as the ninja jabbed forward, intending to stab him, Rocky leaned to the side to let the claws soar past him but than had to jump back as the ninja did a roundhouse kick which could've sliced his jugular. The ninja than tried to swipe him but Rocky had enough and just blocked the blades with his revolvers which, surprisingly, didn't get cut or even chipped. They simply stopped the blades which let out a loud "CLANG!" Rocky than lets out a kick that sent the ninja back.

Without a second thought, Rocky turned around and shot the Wind Dust bullet which hit the ground, in the middle of the poison cloud, and formed a large cyclone made of green wind that sucked up all the poison and than sends it from the top that scatters it away from the city which eventually dissipates.

Rocky sighs in relief that the threat that could be lethal to bystanders has been eliminated.

He turns around and focuses his attention on the ninjas.

"Oh great. Ninjas. What's next? Pirates and Vikings?" Rocky sarcastically mutters as the ninjas approached him. However, he stopped joking when he saw the symbols... which made his eyes go wide.

But before they could even take one more step forward, something behind them was coming in fast.

It's Wily Coyote... again.

"Outta my way, punks!" Shouted Wily as he barged through them since he was on his Rocket Skates again and he also formed a metal battering ram, complete with a ram shaped head at the tip. He barreled through the three ninjas and sent them tumbling midair like bowling pins until they crashed to the ground. Their aura reduced the damage but it was enough to stun them for a little bit.

He stopped in place and the battering ram turns back into nanites and Wily reabsorbs them. But Rocky also noticed Wily had a large piece of waffle in his hand and was eating it. Taking large bites and trying to eat it quickly so he can get back into action with Rocky.

"Wily?!" Rocky shouted in surprise.

"Hold on!" He shouted with his mouth full and swallowed the rest whole and got back into action. Sadly for him, his fingers are also covered in maple syrup which makes them all sticky. "Now where was I? Oh yes! You think you can forget about me?! Well newsflash, Rocky! It ain't gonna happen!"

"And now you're now staring to sound like Saturday morning cartoon villain." Rocky bluntly says, still taunting him.

"I know." Wily admitted and chuckled. "Seems like it's becoming my shtick."

Wily turned his grenade launcher into an advanced crossbow and fires several steel arrows, each as thick thick as a metal pole, at Rocky but the roadrunner faunus countered by shooting the arrow heads and causing them to veer in different directions. Most end up impaling the ground with a few impaling the trees and cliff sides. However, one managed to impale the escalator and caused the machine to malfunction and shut down.

"Great... so much for collateral damage..." Rocky sighed but decides to distract Wily by mixing fire dust with ice dust and launches another bullet which Wily countered with a blade slash he made with his semblance. The bullet exploded in a giant cloud of steam that blocked his vision. He instantly created a giant turbine and blew away the steam but Rocky was already halfway up the escalator, even if it was shut down by the arrow.

Wily growls and gives chase once more. The ninjas already recovered and also entered the chase.

Rocky and his pursuers enter the next part of Kuchinashi.

This section is more active; with clearer streets, more active people, bigger buildings, and more street lamps to light up the place. It's basically a place for the people who are above the middle class to live here. It's also a common location for the citizens at the bottom and lower sections that come up here to work and get payed so there are justified explanations of all the stairs, escalators, and cable cars all being common in this area.

Rocky kept running through the city, running past people who in his way but he did his best not to knock them over.

"Sorry! Sorry! Excuse me! Coming through! Pardon me!" Rocky kept repeating his apologies while trying to get away from his enemies.

He turned a corner of another street... only to be facing straight down the barrel of a familiar revolver.

"Please tell me this an illusion." Rocky mutters and slowly turns his gaze up... and there stands Quick Draw along with three other Spider members who were also armed with weapons of their own which are dust pistols and sub-machine guns with blades attached to them.

Before Quickdraw was frozen, he already sent a distress signal to the other Spider members and they tracked his location and came over as quickly as they could but it was too late when found him frozen and Rocky nowhere to be seen. They managed to thaw him out but it did take some time. Quickdraw managed to track down Rocky again when he heard the loud noises not far away and now he's aiming his revolver down Rocky's face.

"Well... hidey ho there, Quickdraw! How's it going?" Rocky nervously chuckled while sweating a little.

"Save it, Runner." Quickdraw says as he pulls the hammer on his revolver. "You have tested my patience for the last time. When this is over, I'm gonna bring your corpse to Malachite in a nice little box with a pretty red bow on it."

"Does the box come in stripes or poka dots?" Rocky joked and nervously grinned.

Quickdraw narrows his eyes and pulls the trigger but Rocky beat him to it by kicking him in the crotch. The Spiders assassin eyes bulged out of his head and he let out a high pitch groan. He covers his crotch with his hands and bends over which Rocky took advantage of by playing leap frog in which he follows up by kicking two of the Spiders that are with Quickdraw and was sailing over the third one. He than sprinted forward with Wily and the ninjas in pursuit.

Quickdraw groaned but quickly got back to his feet. His aura may have minimized the damage but it still hurt like hell and it just pissed him off even more.

"You know what? I rather just bring you in alive and torture you eternally, until you begged for death..." Quickdraw says darkly and starts giving chase with the other Spider members following.

But before he could take a step forward, he was intervened by the Snake Eyes were blocked their path.

"What the-?!" Quickdraw said confused until he recognized the Snake Eye symbol and he narrowed his eyes at the ninjas. "Oh... it's YOU." He said rather annoyed.

The Snake Eyes noticed the spider tattoo and they too glared back at the Spiders.

"I'm rather surprised two gangs like us would come face to face... again" The ninja leader also answered but was more composed.

"No time for small talk. Our target is getting away and we're wasting our time facing each other so get out of our way or we'll make you." Quickdraw threatened but the Snake Eye ninja didn't flinch.

"I'm afraid that would violate our agreements between the Snake Eyes and the Spiders; Any and all members of the Snake Eyes and Spiders shall not inflict violence on each other or that would run the risk of creating a secret war between us. You do know the risks that could bring to all of us?"

Quickdraw couldn't help but admit that Malachite has ordered him and the Spiders to never confront or fight any Snake Eye members... she knows who they are.

The ninja leader knows his master gave him the other members the same orders to never directly confront or fight the Spiders either.

Regardless, that doesn't mean they have met more than once and have more than once insulted and threatened each other but never directly fogught each other. There were close calls though that almost started a civil war between the two gangs...

"...As much as I hate you and your gang, especially that our bosses despise each other, I have to agree on that." Quickdraw admitted.

"Nothing personal, just doing our mission." The ninja replied.

"Speaking of missions." Quickdraw brought up. "It apparently seems both you and I are after the same target that we're chasing."

"Yes. We too are after Rocky Rhode Runner but our reasons are classified." The ninja said.

"Same goes for us." Quickdraw also said. "However, we're wasting time here; the more you and I here, the farther he's getting away."

"Agreed." The Snake Eye ninja said.

Quickdraw thought of something that may help them catch Rocky easier... even if he hates it. He doesn't like making deals with rival gangs but Rocky has pissed him off enough to decide a temporary ally would do. "Tell you what, as much as I despise you, why don't we make a slight deal?"

"There is no mention of making deals in our agreements, unless they bring harm to either of us, so I can consider it a technicality. What is our deal, assassin?" The ninjas asked.

"Lets try to indirectly work together and take down Rocky, either dead or alive, unless you are against the dead or alive part." Quickdraw instructed.

"We prefer him alive but dead is another option. He has something we need so him being alive or dead is irrelevant to the our goal... it's just that our master wants him alive for his reasons." The ninja says.

"Very well. Though, we also want him alive because he has done enough trouble lately." Quickdraw also added as he can still feel the painful throb between his legs. But he ignores the pain and reaches his hand out. "So it's a deal?" Quickdraw asked.

The ninja was silent. Still not sure but a team up like this will make their chances getting Rocky more worth it.

The ninja takes his hand out and shakes Quickdraw's hand.

"Deal."

The other Spider and Snake Eye members just stared at each other in silence and with neutral expressions and just rolled with it.

* * *

**20 minutes later**

The chase continued but it seems Rocky is far ahead of everyone, even managing to outrun Wily and seems to have lost him too.

the Snake Eyes members suddenly leaped from the buildings and blocked his path. Wily came from the side and was charging at him with a spiked gauntlet. Rocky was too slow to react and got punched in the face which sent him flying and heavily cratered a nearby concrete wall. Rocky didn't have time to recover as Wily summoned metal tentacles to that ensnare Rocky and slams him into another concrete wall. Wily tossed him away, only for Rocky to roll into the ninjas which threw their shuriken and paper bomb dust. Rocky had to roll out of the way, managing to avoid most of the explosions of all kinds of elements but it was still powerful enough to still damage his aura and sent him hurtling across the street. His aura did it's job again but it soaked up a lot of damage there.

Just as Rocky got up...

BANG!

A lot gun shot was heard and something whizzed past his face... and a cut appeared on his cheek and started to bleed. It instantly healed thanks to his aura.

BANG!

This time, Rocky was ready and dodged another bullet that almost got him in the head. The bullet blew a hole through a random stop sign.

Quickdraw had his revolver and the other three Spider members started to open fire with their own pistols.

Rocky was now surrounded at nearly all angles here; The ninjas from above, Wily now from the front and the Spiders from the back.

He felt pressured and his options were getting limited.

He looked to the side and saw another restaurant which is a 4-star restaurant.

Rocky didn't really want to have civilians in the crossfire but he doesn't have a choice.. and it's not like this is the first time he's seen civilians in the crossfire. He silently hopes his pursuers don't focus on them... thankfully, they have no intention on random people and just want Rocky. They want to avoid trouble from the guards and police so they only focus on Rocky.

As he entered through the building, he slammed the door behind him and pushed against it.

"Is there a doctor in the house? Is there a doctor in the house?!" Rocky yells, as he pants. For taking some decently heavy damage which has almost depleted his aura to half. Rocky is now starting to get a little winded so he managed to

"I'm a doctor!" Said a random customer in a matter-of-fact tone, among the crowd, who stood up and waved at Rocky.

"Eh, what's up doc?" Rocky casually asks before the windows on the walls and ceiling burst into shards

The Snake Eyes members burst through the windows while Quickdraw and other Spiders enter through the back door. All of them point their weapons at Rocky while he was still leaning against the door and gives off a rather disdain expression.

"Oh come on!" Rocky shouted in annoyance.

But it didn't end there as an explosion right from behind the door Rocky was leaning against was blown off it's hinges and flying across the room, with Rocky pressed against the door and smashed into a wall on the other side of the room. It hit the wall so hard it cratered it and left large cracks snaking across the entire wall, even across bits of the ceiling and floor.

The customers and employees were shocked at the sudden explosion and started running out the back door and some even jumped out the windows.

Seconds later, there was a knocking sound at the door that was blown off and opens the way any door would normally, despite being off it's hinges. There stood Rocky who was slightly covered in debris and looked to be dazed. He pupils were rotating and spinning around his eyes, his tongue sticking out, and chibi nevermores were flying around his head and making bird chirps. He slowly stumbled forward, struggling to stay balanced like as if he's drunk.

"No more for me thanks! I'm drivin!" Rocky mumbled, still dizzy from the impact until he shook his head from side to side while making a goofy sound to come back to his senses.

Rocky than sees Wily walking into the building, after setting off a detonated bomb which blew the door of it's hinges.

"Ho boy..."

Wily gave a creepy smirk and summons a nailgun which unleashed a hail of large nails which were flying towards Rocky at bullet speeds.

Rocky's pupils shrunk and he looked terrified. He barely came to his senses and leaned out of the way as the nails impaled the wall and door behind him.

"Are you kidding me?! I like it better when you were shooting bullets at me! Nails are overkill!" Rocky shouts as he dodges and weaves around more nails.

Let's just say Rocky doesn't like nails because... of an incident that involved them and made Rocky fear them.

The ninjas started throwing more shuriken with all kinds of dust injected in them and Quickdraw started to shoot his two revolvers. Now it's even harder for Rocky to deal with since Quickdraw can pierce his aura and the versatility of the dust in the shuriken that the ninjas carry.

Though, what nobody expected was that Wily created a plasma cannon in his other hand and started firing at the Spiders and Snake Eyes. Everyone else that was focused on Rocky

"Oh no you don't!" Wily shouted at the Spiders and Snake Eyes. "Me and Rocky has some unfinished business to do and you're in my way! If you dirt bags think you can butt in with our business, you got another thing coming! The only one that's gonna beat and kill Rocky is me! ME!" Wily howled as he started shooting his nailgun and plasma cannon all over the place that nearly every wall, floor, and ceiling is being reduced to splinters and burnt wood by the nails and plasma blasts.

Rocky luckily ducked for cover behind a broken table and was somehow lucky it didn't get reduced to ash for the time being. Only a few stray nails managed to impale it and a few grazes from the plasma cannon did manage to hit it but it's still mostly left intact.

The Spiders and Snake Eyes focused their attention back on Wily since he's the bigger threat and clearly has the more destructive arsenal.

But Wily went on the defensive and created a metal shield that started off as a piece of metal that unfolded into a larger piece of metal. It easily deflected the bullets and even withstood the dust shurikens. Not even the acid dust could melt that shield as it's made of a material that's resistant to corrosion.

With them all distracted, Rocky took his chance and escapes through the back door.

"He's getting away!" Shouted the female Snake Eyes ninja who noticed Rocky getting away.

The Snake Eyes and Spiders ceased fire and go after him while Wily went out the front door.

Rocky was sprinting even faster, feeling desperate to get away from them.

_"If I can just reach the top and than ditch them by taking that one trip that leads all the way to the bottom, in a heartbeat, than I will be able to get away from those losers!" _Rocky thought.

Behind Rocky was Quick Draw and the other three Spider members. The Snake Eyes ninjas were leaping across the buildings from above... and Wily is a bit behind.

Wily was getting frustrated he's the last in line to go after Rocky and he might lose his chance. That's when he stopped and saw a parked motorcycle.

That's where Wily smirked and had an idea.

He quickly went over to the motorcycle and planted both of his hands on it... his nanites were injected into the motorcycle which caused the vehicle to transform and shift from it's original shape. Eventually, it was taken apart and than put back together in an instant. Even the nanites upgraded some parts that were too primitive and added new parts that a normal motorcycle shouldn't have.

Once he was done, the motorcycle has now transformed and upgraded into a motorcycle that looks like it belonged at least 50 years in the future. It's more streamlined, looks more polished, and has some state of the art characteristics that makes it the perfect motorcycle. It even has his emblem imprinted on it.

Wily ganders at his work for a second but hops on and starts it up. The tron lines on the motorcycle spark to life and the motorcycle hums to life. The exaust pipes shoot out purple fire and prepares to get going. But Wily takes a step further. The motorcycle started to hover and the wheels folded in.

Now it's a Hovercycle.

Wily grins so big that his sharp teeth are visible and he put the pedal to the metal. The newly advanced bike now rockets forward so fast that it almost broke the sound barrier.

In no time, he caught up and zoomed past the Spiders and Snake Eyes and caught up to Rocky who was caught off guard.

Wily than created a robotic chain.

Before Rocky knew it he had his legs wrapped around by a chain... and sees Wily going by.. he looks down at his feet and back at Wily who is now even further ahead.

"This.. is gonna suck." Rocky says with a blank expression on his face.

in a split second after, Rocky got jerked to the ground and was being dragged across the ground at such high speeds he would've had his clothes, skin, and muscles scrapped off his body, if not for his aura.

Wily was laughing at the top of his lungs, as he continued to drag Rocky through the city. He intends to drag him away from the others who want Rocky's head so he can finish Rocky off for himself and fulfill his mission to become the best marksman of Anima.

Being dragged by his back, Rocky was in great pain and wanted to end it. With his strength, he managed to reach forward and grabbed the chain. With great effort, he pulled forward until he was now on his stomach which made it a little less painful but still pretty painful.

What's worse is that he occasionally gets dragged through many piles of garbage and debris that Wily leads him.

Rocky... suddenly had a used diaper in his mouth and he instantly spat it out.

"I think I'm gonna puke..." Rocky groaned.

Eventually Rocky had enough of this.

"Wily! Why are you doing this?!" Rocky shouted in annoyance. No longer having fun with their rivalry, mostly because he's being chased by the Spiders and Snake Eyes, in addition to Wily. Not to mention getting killed. Just what has he done to make the universe do this to him?!

"Why? Didn't I tell you?!" Wily shouted back. "I'm gonna beat you and kill you so I can regain my reputation as the beast marksman in Anima! It's what I've vowed to myself ever since you humiliated me all those years ago at that festival."

Rocky was a bit stunned and came to realize something... Wily glared right into Rocky's eyes... and Rocky can see how serious those eyes are.

They are not joking.

"Even if I have to kill you, than I shall do that to regain my reputation and my title!"

_"He's not kidding..." Rocky_ thought in realization with dread... he was too foolish and naive to realize what he heard in front of him, for the past few years. He thought it was just an expression Wily says to upstage him and that's it... but now... Wily really does want to kill him just for some title that doesn't mean anything in the end... Heck, there are way better people somewhere out in Remnant with marksman skills that make Rocky's look like an amateur in comparison. If Wily knew that too, he would never rest and kill anyone with superior skills than his just to

Rocky now realizes he needs to reason with the coyote faunus. He sees him as a rival... a friendly rival that he came to appreciate and even respected to an extent... he can't let Wily become some petty murderer that kills people over titles.

With his strength, he started climbing across the chain and got closer to Wily.

"Wily!" Rocky shouted, now angry and trying to reasonable to the coyote faunus. "This is ridiculous! I thought we were just having fun and being rivals! Heck, I was even hoping you could surpass me and we could be buddies!"

Wily was listening as he raised an eyebrow.

"But killing me, just for a title, as if it's the only thing that matters?!"

Wily was listening, fully focused on Rocky.

"Well guess what, Wily! Do you ever think for a moment, even if for a picosecond, does it really matter? in the end!" He shouted.

"What...?" Wily said in slight confusion.

"You heard me! Does it matter?! Does having a title, even if it means killing everyone to achieve it, matter?!"

Wily didn't answer and still looked at Rocky but his expression changed a bit to like he's trying to comprehend what Rocky just said.

Rocky signed and kept crawling forward across the chain, already halfway to Wily.

"You know, ever since that day, I actually saw you as somebody I could spare with and improve our skills and marksmanship!" Rocky continued, now sounding a bit more sad.

Wily couldn't answer as he now looked perplexed and even confused.

"I even thought being rivals could even give us the chance to help others and maybe become great Huntsman to fight off the Grimm! I mean, think of the potential with your semblance! You can manipulate and change the advancement of technology with a mere touch! Just think of what you could achieve and affect the world with that! I mean, sure it only works in your hands and doesn't last long because of your nanites that can only used a limited amount of time but it could still help many people in many ways!"

Now Wily is really stunned hearing just that.

"But look at yourself!" Rocky shouts, now pissed off, as he was much closer to reaching the bike. "You're trying to kill someone like me over being the best marksmanship in all of Anima?! Well screw that! You're wasting your potential and talent on a title that isn't the most important thing in the world! Heck, I'm not even the best marksman in all of Remnant, let alone Anima. You're just wasting your time on a pointless goal!

Wily started to frown... and looks like Rocky's words are getting to him.

"Look, having titles is one thing, especially as a huntsman. But killing people over a mere title is another that I wouldn't dare cross! We're fighting the Grimm who are just as eager of eradicating humanity, as much as you want to kill me for a dumb title!"

Wily frowned even more and even... looked shocked as he realized what he's been doing...

Rocky was just a foot away from Wily's bike and is getting into position to climb on the bike.

"So let me ask you again!... Is all this... really worth it?"

Wily... was silent and couldn't say a word...

In fact, he suddenly started remembering a memory he almost has forgotten.

* * *

**_6 years ago. Haven Orphanage._**

_There stands a young Wily, around the age of 12, wearing what looks like some serious dress code that matches the other boys around him. The girls were also wearing their versions of the dress code since they match the color with the boys. _

_He appears to be out in some playground that is part of an orphanage. _

_He's holding a toaster and is trying to make it transform into something more advanced._

_A bunch of other kids that co-exist with him in the orphanage are watching him but look unimpressed and even uninterested in what he's doing._

_He finally managed to change the toaster into some kind of small and awesome looking robot that was doing some epic poses._

_"See this, guys?" He showed off his robot. "isn't this cool? I can turn a toaster into a robot!"_

_The others still didn't respond and didn't look interested. Wily felt his self esteem started to waver and he tried his best to make them interested._

_"Just imagine the possibilities I could do to benefit to the world with this ability!" Wily says and further tried to convince them. "I could create  
_

_After a few seconds of silence... the kids just laughed at him..._

_Wily felt confused and even feeling his self esteem cracking even more._

_"W-W-What's so funny?!" Wily stuttered, trying to keep his composure but it's obviously falling apart._

_That's when one of the bigger kids, a taller, more muscular one, steps up and looks down on him. He's a stag faunus with a pair of small antlers over his red hair but it comes to show they're a bit larger than the average stag faunus his age. He was grinning down at Wily._

_This is Ferghus. He's the known resident bully of the orphanage, always picking on the smaller and weaker kids of the orphanage, human or faunus, but he especially like to bully Wily and treats him like a pathetic nerd. Heck, the worst he ever does to poor Wily is giving him an atomic wedgie every day without warning..._

_"Oh, you wanna know what's funny, NERD?" Ferghus emphasized on the last word, sounding like a jock. "That's YOU!" He pointed at "You want to benefit thee world with your talents for nothing in return? Well ain't that sweet." He added sarcastically. "You're such an idiot, ya know that?"_

_Wily started to shiver and tried to remain composed. He tried to say something but couldn't because he felt so vulnerable. That's when Ferghus grabbed him the scruff of his shirt, lifted him up to eye level and glared him in the eyes._

_"Your ideal is nothing but a lousy dream_ _that means jack squat in this world when the Grimm want to kill us all! The real ideal that everyone looks up to is being the best there is! That's why I'm gonna be the best huntsman Remnant has to offer and everyone will bow down to me as their hero who will slay all the Grimm and purify this world from the darkness by himself! When I get adopted and get old enough, I'm gonna attend Haven Academy and train myself to be the best huntsman there is! The world will love me!"_

_He tosses Wily back who falls on his butt and looks more distraught. To make it worse, Ferghus decided to rub more salt in the wound by raising his foot and stomping on Wily's robot which shattered to pieces. The nanites instantly left the destroyed robot and were absorbed by Wily. The pieces of the robot turned back to broken pieces of a toaster._

_Wily stared at his destroyed toaster and watches Ferghus and the other kids walking away while laughing._

_Wily stared back at his toaster again... and tried to hold back a tear but one managed to slide down his cheek._

_What's more sad is that Wily was never adopted while most of the other kids, including Ferghus, were adopted and left him behind. Eventually, he eventually managed to leave the orphanage when he was old enough and fended for himself but Allan's words still lingered in his mind. He tried his best to ignore the bully's twisted words of advice... but it apparently seemed, over time, Wily started to consider maybe becoming the best at something might get people to like him... yes... that's what he must do. Forget the benefit to the world... become the best there is and you'll receive the praise you want..._

* * *

And so, Wily wanted to prove the world he can get a title of being the best marksman in Anima, to prove that having title really does matter and you be appreciated by everyone around you... his obsession may have started off innocent and also started off as a friendly rival towards Rocky ever since they met... but seeing himself getting upstaged so many times, even if by a hairline, has brought a bigger crack to his self esteem and sanity... now he is getting desperate to beat Rocky... even if he has to kill him which started off as an expression which devolved into that he means it...

Rocky was careless and naive to even notice the possible hint of Wily was legit in wanting to kill him.. and now he's gonna fix it. It's never too late... Wily is not a murderer and he has never has killed anyone nor will he ever will once Rocky fixes this.

"It's never too late, Wily!" Rocky says since he's now finally climbing on the hover bike and glaring at Wily. "Deep down, you and I know you just wanted to beat me because you saw me as a rival but what you're doing now will cost you something you could never take back! You could become something you never were meant to be; A murderer that wanted a title and I know you are not that kind of guy!"

Wily still stayed silent and even looked like he was gonna shed some tears.

"I don't know what you've been through but I can imagine it wasn't pleasant and whatever has caused you to suffer has led you to being desperate to getting a title, probably to get the attention you wanted!"

Wily's mouth quivered a little and his eyes looked a little misty.

"So please! Stop this madness and stop trying to kill me for a title! There are many other important things in this world and a mere title just won't cut in the end!"

Wily... gets even more conflicted that he doesn't know what to do or what to think that's right from wrong...

He aimed his plasma cannon at Rocky's face.

"What...?" Rocky said confused.

Wily didn't answer and just charged his plasma cannon at Rocky's face.

What Rocky doesn't know is that Wily is far too conflicted and confused that he wasn't even thinking straight of what he's exactly doing. Rocky can tell because his pupils have shrunk so deeply that they are almost invisible.

Rocky instantly reacted by reflex and smacked the plasma cannon to the side which fired a powerful blast of plasma and ends up blasting through a random stone wall, leaving a massive hole in it.

"Wily! Get hold of yourself, you idiot!" Rocky shouted and wrestled with Wily which caused the hovercycle to lose it's balance and started ramming through several lamp posts and even through several walls but it didn't stop Rocky and Wily's scuffle until they finally lost balance.

The bike started scrapping and tumbling across the streets that several cars and people swerved out of the way, while Rocky and Wily were also rolling across the streets.

Eventually, they all came to a halt. The hovercycle was heavily damaged and reverted back to it's normal state which still looked heavily damaged. The nanites flow back into Wily who was laying flat on his back and was groaning.

Rocky also groaned and got back to his feet. He looked at Wily who was a bit sore and may be laying there for a little bit.

Rocky felt pity towards Wily and hoped his words got to him... that's all he could do for the moment. Though, his thoughts were short lived as he saw the Spiders and Snake Eyes rounded a corner and are now running towards him. Quick Draw fired his revolver and Rocky made a run for it, hoping Wily is okay. The Spiders and Snake Eyes thankfully ignored Wily and kept their chase.

Eventually, he's come across the elevators. The elevators are attached to the cliffside of then mountain that leads to the top which is also where the richest thrive. There were huge lines of people, from the lower and middle classes, all coming to get on the elevators to reach the higher parts of the mountain and even the peak for some.

A bunch of guards were at the elevators and noticed Rocky barging through the crowds of people, even shoving some aside. The guards got incredibly suspicious, especially getting some duty calls from other police in parts of the entire city of what's been happening in the lower sections.

"Halt!" Shouted one of guards. "State your identification and show us your permit!"

"Yeah! About that!" Rocky sounded a bit sheepishly. "I'm gonna have to make that an exception!" He used his semblance to comically zip towards one of the guards and socked him in the face so hard his helmet flew off and the guard made a dopey expression before falling over. He grabbed two guards, each by the head, and slammed them together which knocked them out to. This shocked the other people who saw the commotion.

"My apologies and I regret breaking the law but this is an emergency!" Rocky shouted in apology. He doesn't really like breaking the law but he's willing to do it since... he and the man that raised him has done it on occasion.

He enters the elevator and pushes the button to go up. The elevator itself is mostly made of metal but it does have a large glass window to look out on so Rocky got a good view of the city. He's so high up he can even see other mountains and valleys in the distance, along with the flowing rivers.

Though, his admiration of the view was short lived when he saw something in the corner of his left eye, he sees another elevator rising up and is right next to him... and it's Quick Draw and the Spiders...

On his right, he sees another elevator and it houses the Snake Eyes ninjas. They too took the elevator and are still in pursuit.

Rocky gulped of feeling like he's surrounded, even if they are separated by elevators.

Once they reached a floor of the cliffside, which looks like a cavern with many dust enhanced spotlights lining the cavern walls. There's even a road where buses and cars drive through to carry their passengers. It was also crowded with people were traveling through the tunnels.

An elevator "ding" sound was heard, followed two more. The doors opened and out ran Rocky, followed by the Spiders and the Snake Eyes coming out of their respective elevator doors.

But Rocky skidded to a stop which his two group pursuers mirrored him. Rocky than turned around and ran back into his elevator just as the door closed. the Spiders and the Snake Eyes mirrored him, as they too ran back in their respective elevators.

Rocky was heading up to another floor but he sees his pursuers again, watching him with soul crushing stares.

On the next floor, Rocky and the two gangs ran out of their elevators but they repeat it again by skidding to a stop and running back to their elevators... again.

This has been repeated several times until they reached a floor that is more than halfway up to the top. This time, Rocky stays put after he skidded to a stop, outside of the elevator.

The two gangs also stopped in place and all glared at Rocky, even ignoring the people around them who are staring at them in confusion.

Rocky was sweating a little as he feels pressured to being surrounded by two gangs that want his skin and possibly his possessions that he can't let them have.

He looks to his left and slowly back to his right again.

The elevator doors started to close... Rocky still didn't move and just needed to wait a few more moments.

NOW!

Rocky darted back to the elevator doors and the other two gangs mirrored him.

In a split second, and using his semblance, Rocky managed to barely squeeze through the narrow gap of the elevator doors. But since this moment was so tense, his semblance barely worked and it still kinda hurt his bones a little.

As for the other two gangs, they were a split second too slow and their doors shut before they could even get in.

"Damn it!" Cursed Quickdraw for being too slow and looking like a bunch of fools. They are gonna have to wait a bit for their elevators to open again.

At the very peak of the mountain, this is the richest live. As the tallest and largest buildings are built and richest people thrive. There are also middle class and even a few poor people are spotted in the crowds, mostly here for doing jobs they were able to get and are getting paid so they can eat here which they can take home and feed to their families.

The elevator reaches the top which comes through a hole and makes another "Ding". It opens it's doors and Rocky runs out.

"Alright. Just need to get to that one spot and I can lose them." Rocky informs and starts running... that is something lands in front of him.

It's Wily Coyote again...

Wily made a jetpack and got him to the top just in time and now he's front of Rocky again. This time, Wily was frowning but he isn't showing much emotion.. it's like he's very conflicted with himself.

_"At least he's not doing that creepy grin... there's gotta be a chance to convince him..." _Rocky thought.

"Wily, please! Just stop this pointless rivalry and let us talk this through?" He shouted, hopping Wily can be reasoned with. "Whatever you have endured in the past must've been bad but I can convince you there are other ways you can use your semblance for Remnant!"

Wily didn't answer... and leaped forward. He created six metallic spider legs from his back and was crawling towards Rocky. He tried to impale and disembowel Rocky who had to roll and swerve out of the way. Each stab easily impaled the ground and each slash carved out chunks of the ground and sent them flying. Some pieces even hitting the buildings and cars. Wily didn't change his expression and remained emotionless.

_"Okay. That just makes him look even creepier... he looks like he's being possessed." _Rocky thought and being creeped out.

But the fight got more complicated as the Snake Eyes and Spiders showed up.

"Oh not those guys again!" Rocky shouted, much to his annoyance, yet again.

Wily continued his offense by raising to claws and tried to slam them down onto Rocky.

Rocky draws his revolvers again and fires a gravity dust bullet at Wily who blocked it by raising a shield. But the moment the bullet hits it, it explodes and unleashes a large sphere of gravity that surrounds Wily. A second later, the gravity was increased which made Wily even heavier that he was forced to the ground and couldn't move, due to the sheer increase in gravity that the ground started to crack.

"That should put you down for a bit!" Rocky says and starts running into the city.

The other two gangs are not far behind and they give chase. Wily was struggling to escape the gravity field but he managed to counter it by making a device that creates a sphere of energy that reverses the gravity field which cancels it out. Though, if he waited longer, the gravity dust would've worn off but Wily ain't waiting.

Rocky uses his roadrunner traits to sprint as fast as he could. But he had to slow down in this crowded environment which hindered him. If he had more space or was out in a wide fields and deserts, he could easily run even faster and outpace these guys.

The Snake Eyes and Spiders were catching up to him. The ninjas were leaping across the buildings while the purple colored gang members were right behind Rocky. They started spreading out and surrounding him, limiting his options again to find any escape route.

Eventually, they forced Rocky to run into a building... which turns out to be a ten story high theater with a giant glass window... doesn't that sound familiar?

"Oh no... don't tell me what I think is gonna happen here." Rocky muttered as he knows what's gonna happen that he remembered not to long ago...

He enters through the back door, past the guards which couldn't stop him nor his pursuers as they got bodied to the floor. Just as he entered, Wily was coming in fast from behind, riding a cartoonish red rocket... yeah. He leaps off the rocket that flies off into the sky and blows up like a firework and rolls through the door and into Rocky.

Rocky is surrounded by his enemies once more... but things will only getting more insane from there.

"Wait. What? You can't be serious." Rocky said out loud.

Wily summoned a minigun that had THREE rotating barrels and opened fire. The bullets tore up the walls, crates, and barrels that made up the entire room they were in. Thankfully, they didn't hit any nearby bystanders who were in the main theater and watching the play which is already playing.

Rocky had to dodge yet again but also countered. He shot an electric dust bullet that sent electricity to cause the minigun to malfunction. Enough time for Rocky to sprint forward and sent a powerful kick that sent Wily crashing through several crates that were spared by the bullets.

The Spiders came forward and opened fired. Rocky shot the ground with an Earth Dust bullet which created a wall of stone, stopping the bullets in their tracks but Quickdraw's semblance infused bullets easily pierced the stone barrier which forced Rocky to duck down as the bullets whizzed over his head and also pierced the walls, eventually they will lose their momentum so they can't pierce any further ahead.

Rocky needs to disarm Quickdraw, he's far less dangerous without his guns but Rocky is also aware he's pretty strong and a is also pretty good in hand to hand combat. Quickdraw ain't too reliant on his semblance and he's been known to beat his targets to a pulp with his fists.

Rocky rolls out from behind the wall and shoots a several bullets but Quickdraw counters with his own which all pierced Rocky's own bullets. Rocky was counting on that since one of the bullets is a Smoke Dust bullet which blew up and created a big smokescreen int he entire room and blinded everyone.

Quickdraw coughed and tried to see but saw a fist coming at him and he barely had time to block it with his punch. But Rocky was counting on it by doing a roundhouse kick and knocking the revolver out of Quickdraw's hand and both ended up getting into a fist fight... and Quickdraw had the advantage on that.

Despite his nimble and more agile build, Rocky was barely staying ahead as Quickdraw was a more experienced and skilled brawler, despite being slower, in addition to being more buff and stronger.

Eventually, after several traded punches and blocks, the Spiders assassin ends it by reaching out and grabbing Rocky by the scruff of his shirt, punches him in the face several times which made Rocky give out different goofy expressions by each punch and tosses him into another stack of crates. He quickly runs back to his revolver and picks it up. Just as Rocky got back up, he had to avoid the sword slashes of the ninja leader. He ducks and does a sweep kick but the ninja avoids that by flipping in midair and uses that momentum to slash downwards. Rocky rolled out of the way and the sword slash leaves a clean cut of the floor which cuts all the way down.

Rocky quickly got back to his feet and throws a punch but it gets wrapped by a kasurigama and prevents him from punching forward. The second ninja starts slashing the blade of her weapon which forced Rocky to use his revolver to block her slashes. After the sixth slash, Rocky kicked her back and wrapped his leg around the chain. He twirled the chain which suddenly wrapped around the girl's neck and his strength to yank her forward, followed by punching her in the face which caused her to fly in midair and smashed a table in half.

The third ninja comes in and tries to slice and dice him again which he nearly did by nicking a few pieces of clothing from Rocky's coat but that only ticked him off as that's his favorite coat! The third ninja draws his arms and out and starts spinning like a top, now looking like a human sized tornado tipped with blades. He intends to tear up Rocky but he has already draws his revolver and shoots a Wind Dust bullet which created a small tornado. However, the tornado was spinning in the opposite direction which stopped the third ninja from spinning but it also scattered the smoke which cleared the room. Once the tornado dissipated, Rocky sends a drop kick that sends the third ninja crashing through a wooden door.

"As much as I like to chit-chat with you guys, I'm outta here!" Rocky sprinted through the door and down the halls.

Everyone gave chase again, including Wily who instantly recovers. Wily was last in line and he's even more conflicted with himself that he can't even think straight.

The first thing he could possibly think of was creating... a wheel barrel with a rocket booster attached to it. He hops on and rockets forward.. and ends up scooping up everyone until Quickdraw, the Spiders, the Snake Eye Ninjas, and Rocky, are all in the wheel barrel together.

"You know what... even I don't know what is going on." Rocky sighs. But it was short lived as the wheel barrel hits a rubber ducky in the middle of the floor that catapults everyone forward...

"Who leaves a rubber duck in the hallway?! Sheesh! Someone needs to pick up after themselves!" Rocky shouted, as they all flew towards the dressing room.

Meanwhile, in the main theater, there is a play that's happening and the audience is watching in silence and waiting for it to end.

Than... there was a loud crash and something crashed onto the middle of the stage.

There stood Rocky... wearing an oriental barmaid outfit, a pair of snorkels, cleaves for shoes, and a clown afro. Oh and they also passed through the lunch room which Rocky somehow has two bananas in his hands.

Wily was now wearing a football helmet, a firefighter's jacket, rugby pants, ballerina slippers, and a too too.

Quickdraw is in a disco get up, including an afro.

The other Spider members were wearing a chicken mask, a duck mask, and a turkey mask, respectively.

As for the ninjas. The leader ninja was missing his pants which exposed his red boxers with white hearts. The female ninja was missing her shirt which showed off her sports bra. Lastly, the third ninjas was wearing clown make up.

Back in the dressing room... the room was a complete mess but a pair of ninja trousers and a ninja shirt were caught by two random coat hangers...

The whole unexpected thing that was happened wasn't expected by anyone. Not even the most bored person that wanted something to happen didn't see that coming. Not even some guy who has foresight would ever see this coming.

But than things got crazy as Wily, the Spiders, and the Snake Eyes, turned their attention on Rocky... who aimed his bananas at them.

"Uh...Stay back! I have bananas and I ain't afraid to use them!" Rocky warned his enemies by pointing the bananas like they are guns. Despite wearing a snorkel mask, they they could hear him clearly.

That's when the entire audience roared in laughter. They all thought this was part of the act and that was the perfect punchline.

Rocky was confused for a second but Wily bearhugged him and created another jet pack. He carried Rocky with him and rockets upwards... through the ceiling and many more floors above it.

"After them!" Demanded both the Snake Eye ninja leader and Quickdraw, as they all take the stairs.

The whole audience and stage was left in silence...

Eventually, Rocky and Wily were smashing through several floors upwards but Rocky was able to see each room they passed through from floor to ceiling.

An art gallery and the two ended up destroying a priceless masterpiece by flying through it.

A Diner... Rocky devoured a piece of steak.

A bowling alley... and Rocky and Wily ended up ruining some guy's chance of getting a strike by directly knocking his bowling ball away from below.

A room that's celebrating somebody's birthday... and it was Rocky that blew out the candles and ate a piece of the cake.

A circus act which Wily and Rocky flew through several rings that were on fire.

A cactus farm... and Rocky got hit in the face by a cactus. Ouch. Wily was lucky because of his football helmet...

And many more crazy rooms they've encountered.

Eventually, they reached the top floor that was the attic.

Both faunus flew around the room in circles until they crashed to the floor. Rocky groaned and slowly got back up.

"Okay Wily... this has gone far enough. Just stop this chaos we've been going through all night and just let me talk with you?" Rocky mumbled and stared at Wily but he is now having a hard time seeing what Wily is expressing since he's wearing that football helmet.

However, Wily was still conflicted with himself and attacked again. The two were already getting a little exhausted, as Rocky took a lot of damage lately and Wily has been burning through his semblance which is also draining his semblance but the two continue their battle... even with Rocky still holding the bananas.

Eventually, Quickdraw and the Snake Eye ninja manage to reach the top, with their followers right behind.

"I swear... If I get encountered by everyone at once one more time... I'm GONNA SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!" Rocky shouted at the top of his lungs. Finally getting fed up being chased by everyone for wanting his head for whatever reason.

The ninja leader threw a shuriken again.. but Rocky dodged it... and the star ending up hitting a gas tank which started leaking gas and started spreading across the floor but nobody noticed. The ninja wearing the tank dop draws a fire shuriken...

You all know where this is going... right?

The ninja throws that shuriken... which missed Rocky... and is flying towards the gasoline stream...

Time slows down as Rocky turns around.. and sees the shuriken already activating it's fire dust and is about to hit the gasoline stream.

Once it did... the fire spreaded and raced towards the gas tank... which is surronded by tons of other gas thanks and explosive crates of Dust.

Rocky screamed with his eyes bulging out but it was too late. Everyone else, including Wily, took notice and they too had their eyes bulging out.

"OOOOOHHHHH SSSSSHHHHHIIIII-"

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

"_And so it is written." _Rocky says, narrating once more. _"T__hat is how we ended up here, how me and my coyote friend got in these get ups, and how all of this came together."_

Right back where it all started, everyone was falling in midair and Rocky was holding a pair of bananas and aiming them at Wily while the coyote faunus is aiming a large plasma cannon at Rocky and intending to blow his head off. His double revolvers are strapped to his hip but his hands are full and he has the bananas in his hands… the reason he couldn't get his revolvers in time was because his hands were full…. and also because he has no idea what he is doing but following his gut instinct.

It looks like this is the end for the roadrunner faunus as Wily starts charging up his plasma gun and fully intending on blowing his head off. Wily is too confused, upset, and conflicted right now to even think properly... but Rocky ain't giving up and he's gonna make him change... even if he has to beat the tar out of him for that.

Rocky has yet another trick up his sleeve.

With a slight assistance from his semblance, Rocky squeezed the bananas as hard as he could, which caused the fresh fruit to be launched out of their peels and flying towards Wily. The organic projectiles soared upwards towards Wily. Somehow, they went between the gaps of the football helmet's face mask and splattered into his face with a cartoonish "SPLAT" that also got into his eyes which blinded him.

Wily grunted and flinched from having some bananas splattering in his face and getting into his eyes that robbed is vision momentarily.

The hit also caused him to lose his focus and aimed off course. Slightly aiming his plasma cannon to the side and accidentally firing.

The plasma beam zips past Rocky, almost grazing him and hits a nearby water fountain made of pure marble and took the shape of a dazzling mermaid holding a fish that was shooting water out of its mouth.. only for the whole fountain to be obliterated and reduced to tiny pieces of rubble.

Rocky seized his chance and actually reached up and grabbed the plasma cannon which he used as leverage to swing upwards until he was above Wily. Than he wrapped his arm around Wily's neck and puts him in a neck lock. The coyote faunus struggled and thrashed, trying to break free but Rocky had him held rightly and wouldn't let go.

But that isn't the only thing he's struggling with... he is constantly hearing both the words of Rocky and Ferghus that echoe in his mind and he's unsure and stuck in the middle who's words are more convincing to believe. It gets much worse as he's now seeing illusions of the heads of both Rocky and Ferghus .

Wily was at the break of losing his mind and sanity of hearing the words now booming in his head and his conflicted state of morality of what's right from wrong.

But even with all that, Wily notices the ground is getting closer to him at break neck speeds...

The duo and everyone else plummeted 10 stories and crashed into the ground with loud crashes that kicked up clouds of dusts.

The couple, Zach and Lily, who saw the whole thing made Zach react upon instinct shield Lily with his body from any potential danger.

As the dust settled, there were several craters all over the place, but the biggest one is Rocky and Wily's since they fell in it together.

As for everyone else, the Snake Eyes and Spiders, including Quickdraw, were all laying in their craters and groaning in pain. Their auras are almost completely depleted except for Quickdraw and the ninja leader.

Rocky was the first to get up and groans in slight pain as he stretched himself to ease the sore muscles which slowly healed from whatever aura he had left.

"Man.. that was quite a fall." Rocky groaned but was fine. He looked down at Wily who's aura instantly depleted and he was out cold. Good thing that football helmet did it's job in protecting his head, even if he had aura.

Rocky sighs and hopes his words do get to Wily's head and understands what he was trying to tell him and hope he does make a better decision, once he comes to his senses.

Rocky than tuns his head and notices Zach and Lily standing there... as they saw the whole thing.

"Uh... nice evening, isn't it?" Rocky said, rather awkwardly.

The two couldn't help but nod their heads, too shocked out of their minds from the explosion to properly answer verbally.

"Well that's good to hear. Also, it looks you two are out on a date as well... that's nice too." He finished.

But before the conversation could go any further, Rocky heard what sounded like... police sirens...

"Ho boy. Well, as much as I want to stick around and hear your love story, I should get going!" Rocky says. He doesn't want to stick around and get caught by the police... and it's not because of the property damage why he wants to avoid them...

The couple didn't answer and watched him go.

Everyone else started to recover. Though, Quickdraw and the ninja leader was able to recover much quicker as they still got some aura to spare. The others have their auras spent and are barely even conscious.

Though, bad news for them is they can also hear the sound of police sirens coming their way.

Quckdraw growled in annoyance but he has no choice. He turns to his three followers and gives the orders.

"You three! Fall back and take cover! Don't let the police spot you!" He ordered.

The three heard his words and followed his orders but one of them wondered.

"What about you?" Asked the Spider member that was wearing the chicken mask.

"I'll still go after Rocky! I still got some aura to spare! Meet me back at our airship!" He already started sprinting after Rocky. The other Spider members followed their orders and ducked into the alleys.

The ninja leader did the exact same order. He ordered the two other ninjas to hide which they did by also ducking into the shadows.

Though, in the crater where Wily was... he appears to be missing.

Meanwhile, we're back to Rocky... and for some reason, he's back into his default clothing. Could be his semblance that he used to change back when he was offscreen.

Anyways, he's reached the spot that will help him escape from the very top that leads him all the way to the bottom. Surely this will help him get away much more quickly.

It's a massive steel wire that is only used for emergency evacuations if there is a Grimm attack. It's extremely durable and can resist the powerful beaks and talons of a Nevermore or Griffon. Attached to the cable is a large cable car that can house up to almost a hundred people at a time. But Rocky ain't using that, since it's deactivated and only activates when emergency evacuations are necessary. In fact, there are many similar large cables across the rest of the mountain. Only reason Rocky chose this one was because he wanted to wear his chasers down so he can use this as the final act to get far ahead and leave them in the dust where they won't be able to track him.

Since he's near the peak of the entire mountain, he can see even further out in the vast valleys and mountain ranges before his very eyes. the broken moon helped shine it's light down and made it easier to see the vast open spaces of Anima itself. But Rocky doesn't have time to gawk at the complex beauty as he needs to get out of here.

Just as he reached the giant cable, a random stray bullet and a shuriken were whizzing towards him and Rocky was forced to duck. The bullet pierced all the way through the cable, leaving a bullet sized hole in it but it doesn't strain or fall apart. The shuriken ends up embedded in the cable but no negative effects.

Rocky turns around and sees Quickdraw... still in his disco outfit. Standing next to him is the ninja but he is still missing his pants. Both are panting heavily do to the long chase and losing a large amount of their aura.

"Okay. This is starting to get stale now..." Rocky muttered as he too was panting.

"I would agree that our constant encounters through the whole night is starting to bore me as well." Quickdraw

The ninja simply nodded his head, he too is getting his patience tested and wants this over with. Besides, he needs the item Rocky has that his clan needs. Rocky himself is a bonus but he and Quickdraw has made a deal so the item is what he can get now. He deeply hopes his boss can forgive him of not getting Rocky but the item should be enough to not get him killed...

"Well at least we can agree on something for once." Rocky says but was slowly backing up towards the cable.

"Don't even think about it, Runner." Quickdraw raises his pistol again and takes aim. "That was the last straw and this will be your last night that you'll ever see the shining moonlight ever again. _I have some big plans for you once I drag you back to Miss Malachite. She is gonna enjoy skinning you alive and I'll have my turn enjoying what I shall do with you." _The assassin coldly stated and slowly walks towards Rocky.

Rocky nervously gulped but he still remained focused. That's when he had an idea and smiled a little.

"You know." Rocky calmly says, raising an eyebrow. "As much as you try to scare me with those death threats and also trying to convince me that you hate my guts... I know you think more highly of me."

Quickdraw doesn't respond immediately and stayed silent.

The Snake Eye ninja turned his eyes towards Quickdraw and was a bit curious why Quickdraw is silent and his connection to Rocky.

"Admit it. I was doing a damn good job working for you guys and making so much lien that I even impressed you for once.

Quickdraw still doesn't answer but he narrowed his eyes... and they aren't out of spite; those are the eyes that say Rocky is right.

The ninja stayed put but he knows doing any action won't do because he can tell Rocky is fully focused and he's ready to make his counter if his speech was interrupted

"Yet, I have betrayed you guys later on but I was also doing it just to get the money so I can get an easier chance to get off this continent and to a new one. I do apologize deceiving you guys but life is life and I did what I must." Rocky continues with honesty.

Truthfully, he did, in a way, like the Spiders, regardless of them being criminals and doing a lot of black market deals and other criminal activities.. yet Rocky ain't no stranger to that stuff in his past as the man that taught him many things gave him those lessons and used them to his advantage. For his goals, he only joined them for the easy picking in getting as much money as he could, while also getting some free food as a bonus they gave him in return for working. He eventually double crossed them by taking the money that Maalchite believes to be hers but Rocky begs to differ when he sees their aren't any rules for that and finders keepers comes to mind.

Now, Quickdraw won't verbally admit it but he does in fact respect Rocky for his skills, weapons, and his black market skills, especially in auctioning. Still, his loyalty to Malachite heavily outweighs his respect to Rocky so it just had to be this way for the two.

"Tell Miss Malachite it was an honor." Rocky finished and used his semblance to make an uncanny zip towards the cable and is planning to slide down the giant cable to get a speedy getaway... but the Snake Eye ninja starts charging forward with his sword and makes an astounding leap that he ends up blocking Rocky's path. He starts swinging his sword and was forcing Rocky back. The bad news is that he's almost completely drained of his aura that his reflexes were starting to wear down and his limiting footing on this cable didn't help. Quickdraw is now directly behind him. Despite actually liking Rocky, orders are orders from Malachite and he's gonna fulfill them. He opens fire and now he's making it even harder for Rocky. He uses what semblance he has left and uses his Toonforce to bend and contort to avoid the slashes.

But he can only do it for so long because using his Toonforce is slowly becoming less effective because this moment isn't funny and it's also draining his aura really quickly.

Eventually, Rocky had to stop as he's now teetering at the edge with his aura...

That's when he felt a painful sting in his shoulder.

Rocky's pupils dialate in great agony as he slowly turns his head and looks at the gaping bullet hole in his right shoulder. Quickdraw's semblance did it's work and went through his aura.

Than the Snake Eye ninja leaps forward and slashes Rocky even before his aura could heal his wound. The slash was enough to shatter his aura and Rocky screamed in pain and skids back. His Dark Green aura flickers and shatters like glass. Without his aura, his wound on his shoulder continues to bleed out and Rocky is struggling to stay standing.

"You're finished, Runner." Quickdraw stated.

"In your dreams." Rocky spat back.

"It doesn't have to be any more complicated than it already is." The ninja says, already stating what they've all been through all night. "Now I suggest you hand over that green necklace of yours and Quickdraw can have his end of the deal."

"What are you even talking about?" Rocky asked, trying to sound like he doesn't have a necklace and is questioning what the ninja is trying to say to him.

"Don't play coy with me, child." The ninja sneered. "You know what I'm talking about. You have a necklace with a green colored orb that isn't Dust that was given to you... by the very man who used to train you until you became a famous stunt performer that you no longer are... which you have retired since that very day in Atlas which was also your last performance.

Rocky gasped and instinctively gripped the necklace that's wrapped around his neck and tried to look serious but he clinched from the stinging pain of the wound.

_"No... there's no way! THERE'S NO WAY! HOW DO THEY KNOW ABOUT MY PAST?!" _Rocky panicked in his mind and was sweating bullets.

"H-H-How do you know about this?!" Rocky demanded frantically

"That remains to be classified... now hand it over." The ninja reached his hand out as if he's demanding Rocky to give it to him but Rocky refuses.

"You better just listen to him, kid. Don't make things any harder than they already are. I hate to bring you as a corpse." Quickdraw warned as he aims at Rocky again. He'll kill him here if he has to but he really wants to bring him alive...

Rocky was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he's out of aura, his ammo is low, and he has a gaping hole in his shoulder. Not to mention he's standing thousands of feet above ground zero. One wrong slip, he gets shot in the head or he plummets to his death either way. If he had his semblance, Toonforce would easily help him survive that fall but his aura is gone and the moment here is too dramatic...

It looks like Rocky can't do anything... no, he rather die than hand over the necklace. He's thinking of jumping off the cable.. hoping he could somehow survive... but if he dies... oh well, it was a fun adventure and he hopes they can't find his body and hopes somebody else takes his necklace and and keeps it out of reach from the wrong hands.

Just when it looks like he was about to jump... a loud sound was heard... and it was coming towards them. Rocky and Quickdraw turned their heads to the left and the Snake Eyes ninja turnd his head to the right.

Everyone turned their attention towards the noise and sees some kind of human sized object flying towards them... it appeasrs to be some human with a football helmet and is wearing what looks like a jetpack with jet like wings.

"Wily?!" Rocky shouted in confusion.

Wily wasn't really knocked out cold when he hit the ground. He was just too conflicted to even get up... but it seems he has come to his senses and now he's flying towards Rocky.. likely wanting to kill him again since he's going full speed and going right for Rocky...

"So much for trying to reason with him..." Rocky muttered and expected Wily to kill him right here since there's nothing he can do...

But what he didn't expect was that Wily flew right over him but grabbed him by the shoulders... and carried him off.

"Wha-!" Quickdraw and the ninja said in surprise as they were caught off guard.

"W-W-Wily?! What are you doing?!" Rocky shouted in shock but Wily stayed silent... that's when Rocky looked down...

"DON'T DROP ME! DON'T DROP ME!" He panicked and felt like this is how Wily will kill him... but Wily doesn't let go and keeps flying onwards.

Rocky noticed Wily isn't dropping him and raised an eyebrow. Just what is going on? First he wanted to kill him many times in their squabble but now it seems he doesn't, despite having the position, time, and place like this that he could now.

But before he could think any further, Rocky heard another bang and Wily's jetpack got hit by a stray bullet from Quickdraw's revovler. The jetpack started to sputter and malfunction.. and the midair duo started to plummet and spin out of control downwards.

"Gotcha." Quickdraw said and watches them plummet. Surely, it would take a while to retrive them since they are so far away but there's no way they'll survive that crash.. and even if they do, he's got a back up plan. He gets out his scroll and dials the number. Shortly after, someone answers.

"Did you get him?" Said a voice on the other side of the scroll. It's one of the Spiders members that were with Quickdraw... they are at their small airship and waiting for Quickdraw to call them... but for some reason.. they are still wearing their bird masks. And the guy that's on the scroll is the one wearing the chicken mask. The woman in the duck mask is just standing by while the third guy in the turkey mask is the one that's piloting the ship.

"Not directly." Quickdraw says. "Some coyote faunus who seems obsessed with Rocky has taken him away but I shot them down and is heading towards the lower section of the city. I suggest you pick me up and we head down there.

"On it." Said Chicken Mask and orders Turkey Mask to take off. Duck Mask uses a pair of advanced binoculars to help them locate Rocky when they get close enough.

Quickdraw than turns around and goes but he stops and notices the ninja is standing there.

"So... you gonna stand there or are you gonna get that necklace you're after?" Quickdraw asked. IT's not his business but he is a tad curious about that necklace but he doesn't think any further about it since it's the Snake Eyes's business and Quickdraw knows better than to cause potential conflict with the Snake Eyes.

The ninja looks at Quickdraw... and the silent moment is very awkward because he's still in his boxers and Quickdraw is still an that disco get up.

"I already called my co-horts to pick me up... I'm just staying to enjoy the view..." He said while the cool wind made the pant legs of his boxers flap in the wind...

"...Sure. Knock yourself out." Quickdraw says, already walking away and not wanting to make the scenery any more awkward.

* * *

Meanwhile, further down, Wily and Rocky were spiraling out of control and were gonna crash somewhere in the slums of Kuchinashi.

Wily suddenly grabbed Rocky from behind and bear hugged him, than he turned around until his back was facing towards the ground. He couldn't create anything in time as they were already ten feet above the ground and were coming in too fast. But before they hit the ground, Wily took off the football helmet and forced Rocky to wear it, while also using his semblance to create many shock absorbing pieces of armor across his body...

In a split second later, they smashed into the ground like a human sized meteor which NEARLY broke Wily's aura. His jetpack manged to absorb much of the impact but it still hurts like heck. It doesn't stop there as Wily and Rocky bounced off the ground and than started to skid and tumble across the streets of the slums. Eventually, Rocky fell out of Wily's grasp and he too tumbling and rolling across the streets. The two ragdolling faunus also smashed through a random wooden sign and a broken cart that shattered to splinters.

Eventually... the two skidded to a stop which left a very deep carved trail.

The area became silent that lasted for a minute until someone stirred.

Rocky managed to recover and took off the helmet that Wily made him wear... that helmet managed to somewhat protect his head from serious injury.. sure it still gave him a headache but he survived. He started to stand up and tried to remove the helmet... but just as he got up, Rocky flinched in pain and still noticed at the gaping hole in his shoulder still exposing a gaping hole in his shoulder.

Suddenly the pieces of the shock absorbing armor dissolved into nanites that snaked their way around Rocky... and formed into some kind of advanced looking piece of medical tech... that started to patch up the flesh wound and stitched it all back together... both the entrance and exit wounds.

Rocky looked at his shoulder in surprise. He rubbed his hand across it and felt no pain. He was completely healed! That still left a visible scar on his but he was otherwise good.

He took off the football helmet and looked around and noticed Wily who was already standing but had his back turned. His hair was a mess and his advanced nanosuit was slightly torn and dirty. His shoulders were slumped down and his head hung low that makes him look tired and exhausted.

Rocky wasn't sure if he's still wants to kill him or he's in some different state but standing in silence won't do anything so he decided to speak.

"...Wily?" Rocky said and hoping for an answer but didn't get a response.

"Wily... are you okay?" Rocky says again, still hoping to get a response.

Wily slumped his head down even further and stayed quite for several more seconds.

"You were right..." Wily finally spoke, rather softly, in a tone that sounded full of regret and remorse. Rocky was a bit relieved to finally get a response and Wily sounds like he has really come to his senses but now he sounds very upset. "What you have said to me through our entire fight... you were right. It's not worth it if you are willing to kill people for it..."

Rocky couldn't say anything and continued to look at Wily who sounded so vulnerable and regretful.

"For as long as I could remember, for so many years, I had no friends or family...I just wanted to be acknowledged... even if for a moment. But nobody payed attention to me, despite my patience and my efforts." Wily sadly says and Rocky frowned.

Rocky than felt sad at hearing that. He didn't know Wily had such a tough background.

"Even than, I still followed my heart and found my ideal was to benefit the world with my semblance, for nothing in return."

That surprised Rocky at hearing an ideal that sounds like a polar opposite than Wily's recent one.

"When nobody wanted to see me use my semblance to benefit the world and the potential it can bring, it was only a mater of time until I kept telling myself that maybe being the best at something would get their attention and they would love me for it... but no. I foolishly let myself believe all that which came from HIM." Wily added more emotion to his voice and tightened his fists when he thought of Ferghus.

Rocky didn't know who he was talking about but he had to guess someone was involved with what happened in the past with Wily but he didn't want to bring it up.

"And so, I dedicated myself into trying many different things, until I tried to be the best marksman, since I discovered how good I was into that. I kept getting better and better which made me believe there was nobody out there that could best me. I saw that as my chance for everyone to finally acknowledge me."

That also surprised Rocky... Wily just wanted to be acknowledged.

"Than... that is where you and I met." Wily silently whispered.

"The day at the festival 2 years ago?" Rocky asked.

"Yes... that is where you upstaged me and proved to me that there will always be someone that's better than you... but I never learned that lesson and I let myself be blinded by my obsession and desperation to be the best that there is and I could beat you." The coyote faunus says.

Rocky than looked down towards the ground... so that's what Wily was feeling after he bested him.

"And so, for the past 2 years, I kept challenging you at every chance I got. Despite all my efforts and determination, you always bested me... even if the difference was so close that it was almost even... and I was slowly driven to madness and anger that I just could't defeat you, no matter how hard I tried... and that corrupted desire to to be the best demanded another solution..." Wily tightened his fists again and he started to shake like a leaf, loathing his desire to kill Rocky just so he could be one step closer to being the best marksman in Anima...

"Even if I did kill you.. it would never satisfy me and it would further leave me hollow and empty. Desired to kill more people that are better than me until I'm nothing but a mindless and bloodlusted monster..." Wily whispered at last part that sounded like he was scared out of his mind.

Rocky mentally slapped himself at how foolish he was to not notice the signs and he could've found a way to have prevented Wily's obsession that drove him to wanting to murder Rocky... and potentially anyone else that was superior to his marksmanship.

"And look where that brings us now." Wily says, as he slowly turns around and is now facing Rocky. He slowly raised his head and looked at Rocky who got a good look at his face; What was once a face that showed a psychopathic grin that revealed his sharp teeth and his yellow eyes with shrunken pupils... those features are gone.

What Rocky sees now is Wily with a somber frown that's filled with regret and remorse. His pupils are now normally dilated and don't show any signs of killing intent. He still doesn't say anything and just looks like he wants to lay down and die right where he's standing.

"Rocky... I tried to murder you, on more than one occasion, for a stupid title of being the best at something just so I can be noticed... An apology will never enough to atone for what I have done to you... but thankfully, even if I can't forgive myself, I am at least relieved I've haven't murdered any other innocent lives..." He calmly says.

Rocky was just speechless of hearing it all... all he thought about Wily is that he was some kind of maniac that wanted to be the best because for the hell of it... but after hearing Wily's backstory... he realized Wily just wanted to be acknowledged but his tainted desires turned him into an obsessed psychopath that wanted to kill, out of envy, towards anyone that threatens his chance to be noticed.

Rocky turned his attention back to Wily... who looks a little better for sharing his background. Wily can tell Rocky is sympathizing with him so it makes him feel slightly better but it's not enough to completely rid his guilt.

"But since you have reasoned with me enough and made me see the light and back to my true ideals... all I can say is... thank you. Thank you for stopping me from becoming something that I truly am not."

Rocky stared him in the eyes for a few seconds and smiles.

"You're welcome..."

Wily couldn't help but smile back but frowned again.

Rocky got curious for a second. "So... what do you plan on doing now?" He asked.

Wily frowned a bit but looked at Rocky with a reassured face.

"Since I no longer desire being the best marksman... I have already decided to attend an academy... Haven Academy. A training school that may help me improve on the potential of my skills and semblance, in addition to my marksmanship. I shall help Remnant with my semblance and I shall battle the Grimm, hoping to eradicate them. That is one of my chances to be redeemed."

Rocky smiled and liked that idea.

"That actually does sound nice." Rocky smirked.

Wily smiles back, finally burying the hatchet and starting a new. They are going their seperate ways but they will never forget each other.

Though, their moment was short lived as they heard the loud sounds of something coming... two bullheads are coming in... it's the Snake Eyes and Spiders. They have managed to come down here and are searching for Rocky...

"Crap... thought I lost them... *Sigh* Seems I just can't catch a break from them..." Rocky said in annoyance.

However... Wily has an idea.

"I think I found another chance I could do to that brings me another step closer to redemption." Wily said that confused Rocky.

"And what's that?" Rocky asked.

"This." Wily answered as he used his nanites to create scanner that scanned Rocky's body which than used the data of the body and clothing he scanned. After he was done, he tapped a few buttons on his scroll and let the magic begin.

The first thing that Rocky noticed was that Wily's suit was rippling and started to take change shape and color. He also noticed his tail and hair also started to change.

Standing in front of Rocky... is Rocky... every clothing and color was identical! Even the measurements of his tail feathers and mowhawk are identical! Though, only thing that isn't identical is the face which is still Wily's.

"W-Wh-WHAT?! How did you do that?!" Rocky said in complete shock but it got replaced to fanboyism.

"Oh all I just did was scan your body and clothes, followed by using a hologram projector and some Hard-Light Dust that I keep for special occasion to create a holographic replica of your clothes and some of your physical features that are only temporary. This near perfect disguise is what I'll use myself as a decoy to lure them out and away from you. This is just one of my attempts to redeem myself.

That explains it! But still! That's so cool!" Rocky said out loud and almost acting like a kid in a candy store.

"I know. Sad thing is that I haven't practiced using this much... and I also have yet to perfect the facial recognition... may take a while... also, I can't copy the body structure of a female... only males."

"Ah. That makes sense." Rocky says with a nod.

"Well... I better lure them away..." Wily says as he prepares to step out and expose himself so they can chase him.

"Yeah... hey Wily?" Rocky asked.

"What?" Wily asked, turning around.

"If we ever meet again... mind if we do some sparring? For the fun of it?"

Wily stared at him and thought for a second... and smirked. "Yeah... I would love that."

The two shook hands and went their separate ways.

Rocky stayed low and watched Wily step out of the shadows and taunted them. Though, he kept his head low enough to not let them see his face and make them convinced he's Rocky. Since he got their attention, Wily ran in the opposite direction, secretly creating powerful running shoes to help him match Rocky's natural running speed.

Though, in their bullheads, the ninja and Quickdraw were a tad suspicious that Rocky looks so fine after such a fall and injury... and the coyote faunus is nowhere to be seen.. But that's definitely him as they recognize the clothes, the tail, and the mowawk. They gave chase

On that night... they never caught Wily who managed to make a sneaky escape where they couldn't find him... they failed their mission... forcing them to retreat... the Snake Eyes are dreading the consequences of facing their master while Quickdraw is pissed at unable to capture Rocky.

Rocky watches Wily run off into the distance and smiles... feeling happy he helped him change his ways and back into the person he truly is.

Though, his moment of silent peace didn't last long...

"I see you were in quite a pickle, young man" Said a familiar voice that Rocky instantly recognized.

Rocky turned his head but saw no one and wonders if he's getting a screw loose in the head.

"Down here, young man, unless I was as tall as I was back in my younger days, I would be seeing you face to face." The voice said sarcastically but also sounded like she was joking.

The elder woman was looking up towards Rocky, with a genuine smile on her face, while Rocky was staring back at her with a rather quizzical expression but still felt like giving a genuine smile back to her.

"Oh. It's you again." Rocky says.

"Yep. It's me alright." She answered back but raised her eyebrow coyly. "What? Were you expecting somebody else? Like some good looking young lady at your age and standards?"

After a second of silence, Rocky couldn't help but chuckle from what she said.

"Well, if I wasn't having such a crazy adventure on a night like this, I probably would've." Rocky says as he scratches the back of his head with his hand which made the woman also chuckle.

Rocky and the old lady continue to stare at each other. She looks a tad curious, as if she's interested in him but Rocky

This got Rocky suspicious, however, as he remembered seeing her all the way from up there

"Hold on a second." Rocky now says that sounded suspicious and concerned. "First. Just what the heck are you doing all the way down here? Second. Is it a coincidence or are you really spying on me because this doesn't feel like a coincidence. And third. How did you get down here so quickly, unless you've used the transportation of this city?"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle and understanding his suspicion for showing up right what has happened tonight.

"Well, first. I just came down here because I also have a rented hotel down here." She replied.

"That's fair enough." Rocky admitted.

"Second. if I was in fact a spy, I would have shot you in the behind with a tranquilizer dart before we first met." She joked.

"That sounds pretty cliche… but point taken" Rocky muttered. "But that also makes me ask... did you listen to everything me and Wily said."

She nodded. "I won't tell a single soul." She said as she zipped her lips. Rocky can tell she's being honest.

"And third. I have in fact used the transportation systems of this city. Just because I said I prefer walking doesn't mean I don't ever use them. I only walked as far as I wanted until I felt like using the transportation." She also added.

"That makes sense." Rocky says again as he walks up to her until he was two feet from her that she had to look up to him, due to their height difference.

Rocky can tell she's telling the truth and her genuine smile backs that up.

"Alright, grandma." Rocky answers. "I'm convinced."

"Heh. That was quicker than I thought." She deadpanned. "I wouldn't blame you for being suspicious for encountering on the same night, especially right after you had quite a wild evening."

"Yeah…" Rocky agrees.

The two stared at each other in silence that seems almost awkward.

"Well, since we are getting to know each other quite a bit… I think it's best if we introduced each other." She said, wanting to make things a little easier between the two.

"Yeah." Rocky answered. " I think we should since we're kinda getting to know each other."

"Fair point. Guess I will go first." She clears her throat and reaches her hand out. "My name is Maria Calavera."

Rocky reaches his hand out and shakes her hand who responds and shakes back.

"Ah." Rocky answered with respect. "Name's Rocky… Rocky Rhode Runner."

Maria couldn't help but chuckle to the name.

"Yes yes." Rocky says, obvious to her response. "It's like a rhyme with my middle and last names that makes it sound like a roadrunner and especially that I'm a roadrunner faunus."

Maria stops chuckling and the two next to each other while it was deathly silent, minus the occasional barking of a dog and other distant noises that was taking place in the city.

As the two awkwardly sat on the bench, in complete silence, Maria suddenly moves the bag over to Rocky and opens it up a little. Rocky turns his head and the first thing he sensed was a smell that smelled good. He looks down and sees there are cashews inside the bag.

He stares at them for a bit which Maria notices and opens the bag up and holds it close to Rocky.

"Cashews?" Maria politely asks, with her bag slightly open which indeed shows to be filled with cashews.

Seeing the offer, Rocky couldn't help but grin at her. In fact, he's pretty fond of cashews.

"Would I? Don't mind if I do!" Rocky answered that pretty much meant yes, as he reached in for a handful and ate a few of them. Chewing on the nuts that made crunchy sounds that were quite noisy.

"Boy, you could pull a prank just by chewing these cashews." Rocky commented which made the Maria laugh in response.

"You know, I think I'll someday use it on someone who irritates me the most." Maria responds.

"And who would that be?" Rocky asked, curious.

"Oh nobody really... just somebody that I've met more times than I wished I hand't." Maria says as she now grudgingly visualizes an image of a gray haired, elderly woman who is slightly younger than her but still overall elderly. She's giving off a rather smug and cocky smirk that Maria so wishes to wipe off her face….

Rocky just decided not to go any further with that as he can see her rather serious frown and looks pretty angry about it.

The two sat in silence, except for the crunching sounds of the cashews crushed between their teeth, despite eating with their mouths closed.

"So…" Maria asked, ending the silence. Rocky turned his head and looked down at her, considering he's taller than her. "Lovely evening, isn't it?"

Rocky couldn't help but lightly laugh at that. After all what he's been through tonight, especially having to deal with the likes of the Spiders and Snake Eyes clan that want his head and also his formerly psychopathic rival who who is now taking a new path but still remains his rival.

"Yeah." Rocky answered back but with a sarcasm mixed to it. "It sure is."

"I take it that you've been through a lot, lately?" Maria grinned at him.

"You have no-feckin-idea." Rocky answered without looking at her. "If being constantly chased and tormented by dust wielding ninjas, organized gang members, gun wielding assassins, and a formerly looney obsessed rival isn't the most enough to be considered a lot. Than I don't know what is."

Maria laughed but Rocky couldn't help but laugh as well.

"So wanna share it?"

"Uh... how about NO?" Rocky bluntly said, tired of being through everything, which made Maria laugh and Rocky want to change the subject.

"So… what are you actually doing in a place like this?" Rocky asked.

Maria slightly shrugged her shoulders. "Not much." She answered. "Just a traveler who is biding her time… and I'm just a year or two away from going to Atlas… again."

"Why is that?" Rocky asked, surprised and curious. He couldn't help but remember he also went to Atlas…. once.

"Oh I just need my prosthetic eyes to be checked" Gesturing to her robotic eyes that she currently uses to help her see. "You have no idea how old they are and how often they malfunction later on." Her eyes suddenly malfunctioned a little which she had to tap them to the side to get them working again.

Rocky nodded, understanding her reasons.

"Based on your reaction and being surprised, have you been to Atlas as well?" She now asked.

Rocky was silent for a second… until he answered but didn't sound too happy about it.

Worse, he even mentally heard the sounds of booing and spiteful remarks aimed at him... that was during a time that ended up being his last performance...

"Yes…. once... and never have been there since. Also, before you ask… I don't really want to talk anymore about it." He said rather sadly.

However, he didn't completely hate being in Atlas, even once… the best moment was seeing some girl in the crowd that loved his performance.

Hearing his words of grief, Maria understood and said no further, out of respect for Rocky.

The two were silent yet again but than Rocky looked at Maria's mechanical eyes and wondered.

"Miss Calavera?" Rocky asked.

"Please. Just call me Maria." She corrected him but still got her attention towards him. "But I'm still listening."

"Okay, Maria. I know I don't want to sound rude or butting into your life of whatever you've been through…. But what happened to… you know?" He specifically meant her eyes. He hopes he didn't offend her.

"It's fine, really." Maria assured him. "I get that a lot from people who wonder how I got these prosthetics and what happened to my past." Maria says, without even feeling offended. "I'll tell only a brief hint of about what happened."

Rocky nodded and listened.

Despite being partially true, Maria can't spill every detail because she can't reveal who she once was… she's too ashamed and afraid to reveal her past of who she once was… and what happened that gave her these prosthetic eyes that she will wear for the rest of her life.

"Well… let's just say, I traveled the lands, far and wide, many decades ago. I was a young and beautiful woman who took care of herself." She narrates.

Rocky was listening and was curious to hear about this woman's past, even after just meeting her.

"One day… I met someone who would eventually become a close friend of mine."

Rocky was now curious who this person was too.

"And…" She chuckled. "Let's just say how we met and interacted wasn't the best of terms between us, from the start." She admitted as she can remember how thin the ice was when she and her friend met.

"Than… we were ambushed and attacked by the Grimm." She continued but she was only saying half of it that's true. She and her friend were in fact attacked by the Grimm… at first until they were attacked by another enemy but Maria left that one out. "We managed to fight them off.. But, I was unlucky, as I got careless… which cost my eyes…." She finished rather sadly.

In her mind, however, she was visualizing the last moment she saw with her real eyes… before she lost them. The last thing she saw wasn't a Grimm… but a person, a faunus, who had crocodile scutes on her face, who was giving off a big grin that showed her metal teeth, and a fraction of a second away from slashing her eyes out with her sword.

That was the last thing Maria ever saw with her real eyes, before they were gone forever….

Rocky couldn't help but frown and feel incredibly sorry for Maria. He just met her but now he's starting to understand what she must have been through.. And losing something like your vision isn't a fun thing to ever happen in your life. He's glad she managed to get prosthetics to help her see but he can tell she likely isn't enjoying it as much with real eyes she used to have but it's still better than nothing.

But Rocky tried another question to make her feel a little better.

"What about your friend?" Rocky asked, trying to change the subject.

She then smiled. "He's still with us, on this world." She answered. "We both managed to fight on and slaughtered the Grimm."

"Wait. You were a huntress?" Roky asked, despite sounding happy her friend survived the fight. Though, he did kinda expect she was possibly a huntress and now it seems that she was.

She chuckled, actually reliving those moments right now.

"Why of course I was." She sounded more like she was happy, as if she was actually enjoying telling this part of her past. "Being a former huntress was one of the best moments of my life."

"Heh. you know, I actually was thinking I took you for a huntress." Rocky says.

"And why is that?" Maria asked, a little curious how Rocky figured it out and wanted his answer.

"Well, for an old lady like you, who is out here in places like this, it makes me figure you really know how to handle yourself which I deeply respect and admire." Rocky sincerely says to Maria.

Maria is really starting to like this young man. First sacrificing food to a staring woman and her children, risking his life to save a bunch of faunus and even a human, from being enslaved, and now sharing her past with him that made her feel a little better… but she's afraid she can't tell him every detail of her past… or for her friend either.

"Thank you." She praised Rocky but gets back to her story. "Where was I. Oh yes. After we slaughtered the Grimm, my friend helped me get to the nearest hospital and I eventually got my prosthetics… and the rest is history." She finished.

Rocky nodded to her but was still curious about her friend. "But what about your friend?" He asked

"Oh yes, my friend you are wondering about." Maria said but then frowns again. "We had our friendship that lasted for decades… but we eventually went our separate ways and haven't seen each other for a long time. But we still cherish our memories and I can still remember them all like they were yesterday."

"That sounds sad but also very heart warming." Rocky noted and felt a little warm inside

"Of course." The elder woman replied but still frowned for a few seconds until she turned her head towards him. " I know I shouldn't tell you how to live your life, but I should give you some advice."

Rocky was listening and remained silent.

"It's always important to share your pain and joy with someone else, even if you don't want to."

She ain't wrong there. Rocky did listen to Wily's backstory and he managed to help him.

Sadly, the irony is that Maria is greatly aware she's hiding only part of her pain that she won't share because she's hiding one of the true reasons why she lost her eyes… but she's doing it for her friend's sake and for her own, since she can't risk letting her secret out and risk exposing it.

"It's up to you how to live your life, but I do suggest you should at least spend some time with others, especially friends or family. It easily makes you feel better and not feel so alone and empty."

Rocky smiled at that… he wonders if he too can ever find some other friends and to share his life with them. Sure, he did used to hang out with the Spiders, even being friendly with some of them, along with recently befriending Wily, but he couldn't really get close to them and it was more out of business tasks than simple friendshids, not to mention he and Wily are going their separate ways. His goal wasn't that, honestly, but it would be nice to find a group of people like that, especially after betraying the Spiders and making an enemy out of them.

"I too lived alone for much of my life, after being trained by my father and passing the entrance exam to becoming a huntress with flying colors." Maria says. "I was always on the move; never stopping or resting to even have a proper conversation with anyone. I only talked to people when it came to a mission I was assigned to or when it was necessary. But even now that I realize how much I needed company. I slowly craved for finding people to bond with and share my experience with them."

Rocky couldn't help but feel a little sad for her. Seems being a huntsman

"But I never felt so much happier meeting my friend that day, especially after losing my eyes."

Rocky then started to smile at hearing how much the person means to her…. Even reminding him of that bearded man with the jovial laugh he thought about earlier. Brings back the good times he used to enjoy….

"But it didn't last forever." She frowned yet again. "I mean, we still have our memories that we had together but we had to go our separate ways…."

"And why is that?" Rocky asked.

Maria didn't want to tell him the exact reason as, again, it risks revealing her true identity so she had to play it safe. "Things have changed over time; I grew tired of being a huntress, as losing my eyes was bad enough." She says. "My friend did call me out for giving up so easily but he respected my decision and we remained friends."

"Guess that's just his way of showing how much he cared for you." Rocky pointed out.

"It sure was." Maria confirmed. "And that's him when he's on a good day." She joked and Rocky couldn't help but chuckle.

"Eventually, he too retired as a huntsman and found his own life out there and we went our separate ways three decades ago." Maria says.

"But he still keeps in touch with me. The only time we ever meet directly is once every decade where we meet in Argus so we can go to Atlas to get my prosthetic eyes checked." She wasn't entirely wrong on that part. They did went their separate ways but for a different reason but she's telling the truth about her and her friend meeting at Argus.

Despite being only saying half of what's true, Rocky was convinced and smiled. "Guess it must've been hard for you and him."

"It was." Maria admitted. "And now that leads where I'm now; just traveling across Remnant, going to Atlas to meet my friend who waits at Argus, once a decade, to get my eyes checked and we'll keep doing that until either my body or his gives out first and the both of us will eventually rest in peace." She finished.

Rocky was a bit surprised by how straightforward she was on that part but went with it anyway.

"Seems like we all have to face that kind of thing too… if we survive the Grimm and anybody that wants to kill you." He says and slightly chuckled at how ironic the last part he says.

Maria chuckles as well in agreement but doesn't say anything else.

The two decided to just stay quiet again, sitting next to each other and eating cashew.

However, during that silence, Rocky took Maria's words deeply and was impressed by her story and was even more intrigued about her friend and wonder where he could be out in Remnant. Though, if she says it's true that he's around her age, if not older, than either he too is retired or maybe he's still out there… kicking Grimm ass and being an awesome huntsman and doing the right thing.

But now Rocky needs to get going, because he needs to catch an airship to leave this continent.

He stands up and brushes the small crumbs of cashews that got on his shirt and pants.

"Well, it was nice meeting and talking with you, Maria. But I got an airship to catch before it leaves tomorrow so I need to get packing."

Maria nods in understanding what Rocky needs to do.

"That's fine, Rhode Runner. And I hope you catch it before it leaves you… or you might get in some heep of trouble if you do." She warned him but that sounded a little more than a tease.

"I'll keep that in mind." Rocky remarked. "But…. thank you for talking to me. Needed some peace and quiet for once. It's been quite a crazy night for me."

Maria smiled and nodded to him.

"It's a pleasure." She smiles. "Just remember; it won't hurt to at least share your experience with others so your not alone."

"I'll take that advice." Rocky noted. "Well.. see ya later." He waved and started walking to his hideout, while Maria silently waves back.

As he was walking away, Rocky couldn't help but look over his shoulder and looked at Maria one last time.

"_Huh...Something here tells me grandma over there is really special and important... and I can't help but feel she may show up again in the next couple of volumes …." _Rocky thought as continued to walk back to his apartment, while Maria remains seated on the bench and watches him go.

Eventually, Rocky turned a corner and was out of sight, leaving Maria alone on the bench.

After he's out of site, Maria stops smiling and begins to frown as she stares at the cold, cobblestone, ground and stays silent for several minutes.

The question that Rocky asked her how she lost her eyes still lingered in her mind. Sadly, it always has and it will forever haunt her for the rest of her life. The last thing she ever saw with her normal eyes was the blade of a sword that slashed her eyes and forever destroyed her natural eyes…

But that's not the only thing she's thinking about… in fact, it's, more or less, _someone. _

In her mind, she visualizes a wide and vast landscape with massive rock spires that towers over the fog in the valley, with the sun high in the sky and the wind blowing. She also mentally hears the musical notes of a pan flute, that releases a lovely melody of such tranquility.

Standing near the edge of a cliff, the being appears to be a man, who is wearing silver, polished, armor, from head to toe, a scarlet red cape with swirly yellow edgings, and a helmet of a knight with a red plume on top.

He appears to be holding a large lance, in his right hand, which vaguely looks like a large drill.

The man stands as still as a statue, as his cape flaps in the wind. She heard a voice that sounded in a deep British accent and sounded like he was full of regret and shame.

"_I may have been the biggest fool today; I ignorantly treated you like I was superior and above you. I disrespected you, your skills, and even your "gift" that could slay any Grimm with a glare, without even knowing who you were. I didn't even regard you as an ally, more of a nuisance, despite that we're huntsman, fighting the same enemy, and we were fighting for our lives... but now, I realize what kind of self-centered know-it-all I was to you…. And now your lost your "gift" to that wretched bandit that can never be restored or even truly replaced... To the bottom of my heart, I humbly take back every word I've said about you that was hurtful and cruel…. Can you ever forgive me?_

The mental image vanishes and Maria comes back to reality, as she opens her mechanical eyes but not all the way.

The elderly woman smiled at the distant memories that she can see them as if they were yesterday..

She sighs again and stares up at the moon and stars.

"I do wonder…. if you're still well and out there…. old friend." She whispers. The last time she saw him was in Argus which was at least eight to nine years ago.

And so, a lot has happened that night but the ones who caused a lot of property damage, including the top floor of the Kuchinashi theater, were unable to be identified... because Wily used his nanites to hijack the security cameras and erased any good shots that showed his and Rocky's face. It was mostly on the Spiders and Snake Eyes that caused this much destruction so they didn't get erased. Though, that doesn't matter as the police don't have enough power and position to stop them so everything just goes back to normal anyways.. like it has been for so long.

* * *

**2 days. Haven Academy.**

In the middle of the day, Haven Academy is almost ready to attend new students for the first half this year, same goes for the other academies across Remnant. Here, the headmaster of this academy is Leo Lionheart. A lion faunus who has worked very hard to reach to where he is now and is doing his best efforts to keep the academy running smoothly, even if it eats away his sanity and stresses him out. There have been rumors he has been more stressed out than ever lately... and he's spending more time in his office. Makes one wonder why he's doing that.

Crowds upon crowds of young men and women, all in their late teens, are coming here and are ready to sign themselves up to become huntsmen in training.

But there is one that's a coyote faunus that approaches the academy... and it's Wily Coyote.

He managed to fool the Snake Eyes and Spiders with his disguise and he led them away from Rocky. Once they were far enough away, he slipped into a large crowd of people and turned off his disguise, blending in with the crowds. Eventually, they gave up searching and left.

With that done, now he is on to the next step in redeeming himself and fulfilling his real ideals. He decided to attend Haven Academy so he can become a full fledged huntsman. With his technopathy, he could do many things for the world and he's gonna do it for the benefit of the world and for others, not just for himself and for a title. He won't mind if he does get one but he's not gonna consider it the only thing that matters.

"Well well WELL... if it isn't the NERD." Said a familiar voice that made Wily stop in his tracks and stood still... he easily recognized that accent and voice, even if it's lower pitched. A big shadow loomed over Wily and he could see the shadow has a pair of antlers...

He slowly looked over his shoulder... and it's none other than Ferghus. What a coincidence.

He's also being followed by what looks like some friends he has.

The stag faunus that bullied way back in the orphanage is as arrogant and boasting looking as Wily could remember. His red hair is now long that it's tied into a braided ponytail and his stag antlers are now big and broad which fit his muscular build. He's now wearing heavy plated armor and is carries a giant war hammer that has Celtic-esque runes on it.

"Well I can't believe my eyes here." Fergus boasted but Wily didn't bat an eye. "Seems you are as nerdy as you ever were!" His buddies started laughing from what he said.

Wily didn't make a response and just blankly stares at the stag faunus and his buddies. Some of them look familiar as some of them are the same ones that were also from the orphanage.

"Oh.. it's you... _Ferghus." _Willy answers in a casual and bored tone like he isn't surprised or anything. Despite looking so calm on the outside, he was fuming on the inside and hasn't ever forgotten that day where the bully ruined his toaster robot and mocked his ideals... oh he is so gonna have a little payback with this jock.

Fergus grinned even more and gently patted his hand on his shoulder.

"So how are you doing, NERD? Been quite a while since we last saw each other. Time sure flies by, doesn't it?" Ferghus sarcastically says. He definitely doesn't miss Wily and is just mocking him.

"Yeah.. sure does." Wily answers, not sounded interested in the slightest.

Ferghus frowned and is even a little surprised that Wily isn't cowering before him but than has an idea.

"So how's my words of advice I gave you 6 years ago?" The stag faunus mocked but Wily doesn't flinch. "Bet you have finally took them to heart and you came here to earn your title as the best huntsman in all of Remnant which is the only thing that matters in all?" That should rile him up now. "Though, you shouldn't count on it as that would be me.

"Nope." Wily simply answered. "I've actually stayed to my true ideal and defied yours."

This shocked everyone but especially Ferghus.

"Seriously. 'Best huntsman in all of Remnant?' 'Only thing that matters?' Oh brothers Grimm." He mocked Ferghus. "Do you know how ignorant you sound saying that?"

"What was that?!" Ferghus snapped. Now losing his patience with this pathetic nerd. He thought he broke him but it seems he still clings to his ideals.

"You heard me. You sound like an ignorant jerkwad who thinks he's some big shot that believes having a title as best huntsman in the world and destroy all the Grimm on his. Heck, you sound as ignorant as you ever were back at the orphanage."

As of now and that point on, since his last encounter with Rocky, Wily no longer likes insulting other but his vented frustration on Ferghus has been pent up for way too long and he's gonna let it all out on him.

Ferghus grew a tickmark on his forehead and his grip on Wily's shoulder tightened but Wily doesn't even flinch which infuriated the stag faunus even more.

"So what if you're the best huntsman there is?" Wily questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I'm here for a completely different reason and I want to use my semblance and skills to help others and fight the Grimm, for no necessary praise in return. Nothing more, nothing less." He was barely holding back at wanting to sock that jock in the jaw but he held back.

Ferghus got even angrier that he grabs Wily by the scruff of his shirt, yanked him up, and glared at him right in the eyes.

"Listen here, you little pipsqueak. I don't know what you're trying to say to me but you are speaking to your future hero who's gonna save this world from the Grimm. I'm gonna slay them like cannon fodder and everyone is gonna bow down to me in gratitude. I came to this academy for one goal and I'm gonna prove them what I planned from the very start! You hear me?!"

"Yeah... good luck with that." Wily casually responds, not looking intimidated. "I'll send my condolences to your upcoming funeral than."

That was the last straw.

Ferghus shoulder tossed Wily over his shoulder and away from him. Wily went soaring for a bit but he gracefully landed on his feet and skidded back near the parking lot. He doesn't look phazed but he was catching his breath a little.

"That's it! I'm gonna nail you into the ground like a hammer to a nail!" Ferghus shouted as he draws his sword and charges.

Wily was about to face him directly but noticed a black muscle sports car that's parked next to him... he has an idea.

He reaches his hand out and touches the car and his nanites enter it.

Just as Ferghus was 10 feet away from Wily.. the car suddenly started to spark with electricity and was shaking like crazy. He stopped in place and was a bit surprised by what's happening. His friends and everyone else nearby also noticed and they too were shocked at what's happening.

The car starts to transform as it takes itself apart and reconstructed itself into something else that it started towering over everyone and left a shadow over Ferghus.

The car.. transformed into a humanoid robot.

At least half of everyone were dropping their jaws while the other half went full on fan boy mode at seeing something so awesome.

The robot stared down at Ferghus who looked hesitant for a moment... than he roared and charged forward. In response, the robot simply raised it's foot and stomped the stag faunus into the dirt. the exact same way Ferghus crushed Wily's toaster robot.

The stomp itself was strong enough to crater the ground, created a small tremor that vibrated across the courtyard off the academy, and left a deep imprint of it's foot in it.

The robot raised it's foot and stepped back.. laying in the footprint was Ferghus... and he's knocked out in one hit, evident by his aura cracking and shattering, with occasional twitching..

"Well... so much for a great start of becoming the greatest huntsman in all of Remnant, am I right?" Wily sarcastically says. He turns his direction over to the other kids that were with Ferghus and they couldn't help but step back. The other teens were either cheering at how awesome that was or wondered what just happened.

He looks back at the robot.. watching it do awesome poses.. the same kind of poses his toaster robot did.

He smiles and reaches his fist out to it in which the robot mirrors him and both did an epic fist bump. The robot than does a salute and transforms back into it's default car form and Wily's nanites swirl out of the car and back into his body.

With that done, Wily takes a deep breath and continues his treck towards Haven Academy, walking past the knocked out Ferghus and the shaking teens that were on Ferghus' side.

This is gonna be a good life Wily is looking forward to.

* * *

**Later that day. Somewhere else in Haven**

It was late afternoon and the sun was setting, in the kingdom of Haven, there is a group of Spider members that are hanging around the bar. They were minding their own business but we're also staying low and secretly staying alert.

Nearby, in a certain table that's heavily surrounded and guarded by two lackeys. One a man and the other a young woman.

The reason is that most of them are just hanging around and to keep their boss, Miss Malachite, secured and safe from any possible threat trying to assassinate their boss.

Nearby, Quickdraw was sitting at a table but didn't feel like drinking or eating. He's still pissed and frustrated of getting upstaged and humiliated by Rocky too many times; twice that involves just before he could pull the trigger. Getting frozen solid was one thing, but getting kicked below the belt was another thing that was another thing he couldn't stand. What's even more... and he still can't understand how he survived that crash... but the coyote faunus was nowhere to be seen so that did draw some suspicion... and he didn't even see Rocky's face...

Despite his failure and humiliation, Malachite wasn't pissed or upset to her loyal marksman assassin; just disappointed in him but she also forgave him for his best efforts.

Still… even if she forgave him, he couldn't forgive himself, unless he evens the score with Rocky… no, settles it with having one more point above Rocky's… permanently.

He swore to himself he will dedicate his efforts to improve himself, enhancing his aiming and timing even more.

"_Mark my words, Rocky. When we meet again, you won't be so lucky to pull your trigger on me again." _He thought bitterly but stays silent and calm.

Malachite, was sitting at a table, smoking her cigarette through a cigarette holder. On the table was a banana split ice cream that she's having for dessert and a piece of chocolate cake with a cherry on top to go with it. Despite being surrounded by plates of food and dessert that she ordered for herself, she was too deep in thought and too pissed off to even care of having a single bite. She was entirely focused on Rocky Rhode Runner for double crossing her and taking the money her auction made.

She puffed another lungful of smoke and sighs in slight anxiety. She was still trying to comprehend HOW Rocky managed to sneak through her tightest security and steal all the money that he won at the auction which rightfully belonged to her.

In fact, this is the first time in the gang's history have they even been sabotaged; by some kind of goofball no less! Sure, they had a few traitors that betrayed them for their own gain.. but never anything like this!

She shouldn't have trusted him but was too tempted to make him ally with her because of his impressive skills and aiming skills but he never revealed his semblance to her until recently.

Reports from some of her scouts have said that Rocky may have some kind of strange and unusual semblance that may have helped him get past her guards and get the money. They couldn't exactly describe it because it was too incomprehensible and "comedic" to fully understand it.

For now… there's nothing Malachite can do, as she was told Rocky has left Kuchinashi. Not a single trace he left behind to suggest where he's going or where he will go.

This was perhaps the most humiliating and embarrassing kind of event the Spiders have ever suffered in history. Sure, there were other times they were humiliated pretty badly but this one takes the extra layered cake.

But that's not the only thing she's worried about. After hearing everything what Quickdraw told her, she came off as surprised the Snake Eyes were involved and also wanted Rocky but their reasons were classified which further made her head filled with many questions. She hasn't forgotten the encounters with the Snake Eyes many times for many years. Despite being a deadly and well known gang of Anima, they have competition with the Snake Eyes, whom also are stealing resources, territory, and Lien to spread their gangs. Though, despite the tensions between the two gangs, they absolutely refused to fight each other just to avoid a war which may shed too much blood to be worth fighting just for resources, money, and territory.

For now, she plans on telling her scouts to keep an eye out for the Snake Eyes. She may have made an agreement to not go to war with them but that doesn't mean she ain't taking her eyes off of them.

_"Just what are you up to...?" _Malachite thought as she envisioned a man in heavy samurai-esque armor.

Before Malachite could attempt to puff another lungful of smoke, somebody burst through the door and ran up to her, which surprised nearly everyone due to how loud and sudden he came in.

"Miss Malachite! Miss Malachite!" The Spider scout yelled as he ran over to Miss Malachite's table.

Despite her scout trying to bring her a message, Malachite wasn't in a good mood and felt like skinning her scout alive but kept her composure.

"You have any idea how much I'm in a bad mood right now?" She said that sounded like she was being serious and even threatening.

"I understand your current mood but you won't believe this! It's a gift that we received from Rocky Rhode Runner! And a note to us said it's for you!"

This actually caught her interest but then she frowned as she still despises Rocky.

Still, Rocky betraying them by taking her money, yet, he announces he has a gift for them all of a sudden and out of nowhere? This seems very suspicious to her and she doesn't like it.

Still, she was still a bit curious and decided to bring in the "gift". The scout, along with several more, brings in a medium sized box and places it on the table to

_Dear Little Miss Malachite_

_In case you're wondering about this note and this box, I honestly wanted to meet you in person but I'm afraid I can't do that because you likely want to pluck every last feather off of my body like a chicken because I took your money that you consider that's rightfully yours._

Malachite considered that right and spot on because she does feel like wringing his bird neck if she ever sees him again. But she continued reading on anyways.

_I just wanted to say, despite how much that we are now mortal enemies, I actually did enjoy working for your auctions and other things.. despite how illegal they are. _

This time, Malachite couldn't help but feel slightly flattered. In fact, she admits Rocky does a good job at doing what he was tasked to do, despite being a goofball and and is a bit too much of a ladies man.

She admits the last part is a bit true. The first thing he did was kiss her hand in his way of greeting her… a bit too much that she threatened to cut his tongue out if he doesn't stop it. Heck, he occasionally chats with some of her female members and asks them for a dance when they should be doing their tasks that she assigned them to.

_Look, I know you don't like me. even from the start where I first met you and the gang. You saw me as some kind of complete goofball who can't be taken seriously but I know you were impressed with my auction skills._

For once, Malachite has to agree on that one. For some kid like him, he's got some major talent.

_Admit it. My auction skills have been unlike any other that you've ever seen, even for a guy at my age._

Malachite couldn't deny it. His auction skills were unlike anything she's ever seen and he was the reason she got so much money… in fact, she's s

_Which is why I believe I deserve the money, for all my effort, myself… most of it at least. Since I've worked for you and I'm being a nice guy, I'll give you roughly 25% back while I keep 75% for myself. I need it to get around places and I got a new goal in life that I want to try out._

This, however, made Malachite tighten her grip on the note, on the verge of scrunching and tearing it into tiny pieces but she kept reading.

_I know… by the time you read that part, you're pretty pissed and want to rip this piece of paper to little shreds and you also want to skin me alive which I can understand that. But you have plenty of other auctioneers and skilled business experts in the black markets that can also get your money so you have to make up for it which I find pretty fair to take a good portion that I also worked hard for. So here's your 25% that's with the box._

_By the way; I also wanted to be a little generous to you so I got you a special gift that's in this box. It's a favorite treat of yours that I was told by one of your followers about your favorite kind of dessert so I got it for you._

This made Malachite actually curious on that part and stared at the box for a second.

_So, I ask you; enjoy the gift and the money that I got for you. I hope you can understand the decision I have made._

_It was an honor working for you as an auctioneer. I bid you farewell._

_Yours, truly_

_Rocky Rhode Runner_

After reading the note, Malachite started to calm down a little but she was still pissed and will never forget or possibly even forgive Rocky for this, despite him being sincere and apologetic about this, like he knows how she would react to this.

But what made her curious is the "treat" Rocky mentioned. Though, she wasn't letting her guard down as this could also be a trap.

"Did you scan the box and made sure it's not rigged with a trap?" She asked the scout.

The scout nodded. "Affirmative! We scanned the box from top to bottom, even scanning it with an x-ray and using our greatest semblances to find any possible trap in or out of it! We haven't found any suspicion that this could be a trap!"

Malachite raised an eyebrow and was a bit surprised there isn't any trap. She's even feeling a little convinced maybe Rocky is being honest and just wants to give her a gift. She saw the 25% of her total money that Rocky made in the auction that's next to the box and she can actually smell something delicious in the box…it's a pie.

She grinned at the scent and secretly thanked Rocky for giving her pie.

She slowly undid the fancy bow and opened the top as she looked in to see if it really is a pie.

However, within the box, something sprung out, with a cartoony "SPROING", and hit Malachite square in the face that caused a loud "SPLAT!", followed by the Spider boss being sent back so hard that her chair tipped over and she fell to the floor.

"Miss Malachite!" Yelled two of Malachite's closest henchman and henchwoman, as they quickly ran over to her and checked on her if she injured or worse. Quickdraw also ran over, wondering what just happened. He stared

Another note suddenly popped out the box and gently drifted in the air as Quickdraw snatched it

There was only one sentence that says it all.

_Ain't I a stinker? -RRR_

Quickdraw scrunched his eyes and crushed the tiny note into a ball before throwing it away, out of spite.

Malachite laid still. She's not physically hurt… but her pride sure is.

The two lackeys and Quickdraw looked at the substance that smothered her face. It was mostly creamy green with chunks of doughy pieces on it. Quickdraw wiped his finger on the substance, took off his scarf to reveal his face which showed a scar on his chin, sniffed it, and licked the tip of his tongue from his finger.

"...It's lime. Key lime pie." He confirmed which tasted pretty good. He's aware this kind of pie is one of Malachite's favorites and is a bit surprised Rocky would get a pie like this for her… despite not being given to her in the way he would expect. His only guess was that Rocky must've got the info from one of the spider members who hung out with him more often and shared some good info about Malachite and what she likes, which was confirmed on the note Malachite read but Quickdraw never knew that at first.

He did not expect such a comical and somewhat goofy booby trap to be loaded in the box but he could've seen it coming since this is Rocky, of all people, likely pulling that kind of prank out of the blue.

Inside the box, the pie that was attached to a hidden spring that no one noticed or even realized was there, not even the experts in finding and disabling traps like these. It was a mystery how they weren't able to spot it, even after it was scanned by the Spiders tech and semblances.

Must be that Rocky's semblance that may have partly played into this that snuck.

But that silent moment was short lived as Quickdraw felt an aura that felt heavy and thick… coming from Malachite.

She slowly stood up on her feet, pieces of pie dripping and sliding off her face, and a shadow loomed over her face that blocked her eyes.

"**ROCKY.**_**" **_Malachite hissed and growled, feeling absolute fury and hatred running through her head, like a swarm of angry rapier wasps, already thinking of countless ways to end Rocky's miserable existence. She clenched her fists so tight that the one holding her fan snapped it to splinters. Her pupils shrunk which gives her death glare all the more terrifying.

The two lackeys slowly backed away from her in fear. In fact, some of the other Spider members from other tables saw their boss in fury and start backing away as well. But Quickdraw doesn't budge and just watches his boss fume in fury. He can't blame her as he too already has a grudge towards Rocky for humiliating him, the gang, and now his boss.

She hissed through her teeth. **"If I ever see you again, you'll regret ever working with and betraying the Spiders."**

* * *

**At the same time. Unknown location that's somewhere in the wilderness of Anima**

Somewhere out in the wilderness of Anima, there lies a large and deep cave.

Inside it, it was dark, cold, and wet. But the further you go down, you see lit torches the light up the maze like pathways that leads to a large open area where there's lots of space. Surrounded by touch lights to light up the darkened area, there lies a large throne that sits on top of a large rock spire. On the walls were many banners that were black with gray snake eyes which are the symbols of this mysterious clan.

Sitting in the throne was a middle aged man but he was heavily armored from head to toe that you can't even see his flesh that's hidden underneath it. His shoulder pads metallic snake heads that bared their fangs and tongues. Even his horned helmet hides his face from the world to see. Despite sitting down, he stands around 6'6" in height.

Only his eyes could be seen which were giving off a cold hearted stare.

Standing next to his throne was a young woman who appears to be anywhere around 18 to 19. She's tall for a girl her age, around 6'2 and her black hair is tied into a ponytail. She's wearing a tight dark gray bodysuit that hugs her voluptuous figure but she also has some well toned arms and some hard abs to go with that.

She wears bits of armored shoulder pads on her shoulders, a satchel around her waist, and black high heel boots. Strapped to her back are a pair of ninjaken swords which are straight katanas rather than curved ones. She also wears a white mask that covers her entire face which has eye hole slits and the mask is covered in red paint with swirling patterns. Behind that mask is a beautiful face of a young woman with purple lipstick on her lips and purple eyes. Even under that mask… she's giving off a cold hearted stare.

The armored man and young woman are surrounded by four beings that were guarding them.

The guards themselves were heavily armored, from head to toe, and wore gray capes, almost resembling samurai. They also all wore straw hats made of some kind of metallic material that also aids in protecting their heads.

Each of them had a different weapon, respectively; an Odachi, Naginata, Kanabo, and a double headed axe. Their weapons are currently strapped to their backs and not in use at the moment.

These are the Elite Guard that are the highest ranked members of the Snake Eyes clan, only behind the woman and the master

The elite guards were standing close to their leader like they are guarding him… not that he needs guards as he can easily handle himself.

The armored man was sitting in his throne, staring down at the three ninjas that have failed their mission. What's worse is that they've never failed any mission he assigned them to and they did it without question and hesitation. Though, their obedience was a mix of fear and respect to their master; they respect his authority but they also fear his wrath if they ever failed him.. which they had lately.

"**So… care to explain why you have failed me, yet again, when I already told you to NOT fail me?" **He spoke in a rather cold and venomous tone that would send shivers down anyone's spine, as he stared them down with his cold and soul piercing eyes. Heck, it could even make the Grimm shudder hearing that voice and looking into those eyes.

The three ninjas remained silent in fear down at his subordinates but he can't even sigh at the pathetic display they are in.

The ninjas have traveled for two days to get back to their lair but the most embarrassing thing is how they still look.

The leader that lead the group is still missing his pants which shows off his heart print boxers. The female ninja is still missing her shirt which shows off her sports bra. And the other male is still missing his mask which he still has that clown make up on his face. They didn't

The three looked ashamed but especially filled with regret of having to come back empty handed and facing the wrath of their master…. Whatever punishment they must face.. they will accept it.

"**I demand you to explain!" **Orochi roared that echoed across the chamber which scared the ninjas even more.

"M-M-Master Orochi. We can explain." The ninja tried to sound calm and reasonable as possible but he stuttered and was shaking. He knew failing his master would mean death but even taking the oath wasn't enough to prevent fear from crawling across his spine.. His two co-horts were feeling the same thing, despite their oath as well.

"**I do not want to hear any excuses, especially after how pathetic and embarrassing you all look for my eyes to gaze upon." **Orochi says that sounded like his patience is running thin.

The ninja spoke up again.. "We were THIS close to getting him. The only reason we failed was because of that coyote faunus AND the Spiders who intervened." The ninja said.

When the ninja said "Spiders" he instantly regretted saying that.

Orochi let out a sound that sounded somewhere between a hiss and a growl.

"**MALACHITE." **Orochi growled at the mere thought of that woman he knew for so long…..

He and Malachite go way back… their rivalry was always the same in trying to rule the underworld of Anima.

His hatred to the woman was so intense that his eyes suddenly shifted to that of a snake's, including the pupils being slitted. Though, Malachite also despises Orochi as equally as he hates her.

The elite guards and young woman didn't flinch but everyone else that was nearby or even in the tunnels felt the intense pressure in the air and they felt terrified Orochi is absolutely pissed. The ninjas that failed him were the closest and they were shaking like leaves, feeling the sheer hatred that's radiating from Orochi.

Just as it looked like he was about to snap, Orochi calmed down and took a deep breath which his eyes turned to normal shortly after. As much as he despises the boss of the Spiders, it's not worth getting angry over right her now.

He then turns his attention back to the ninjas who were kneeling before him.

"**That still does not excuse your failure in capturing him, even if you were intervened. Must I repeat it again to you before you die?"**

He leans forward and glares into their souls. **FAILURE**.** IS. NOT. AN. OPTION." **He hissed deeply. **No matter if it's against one or many. You're missions will be completed in any way possible, even if it means getting you killed…. and look where you are now; groveling before me empty handed, like a shepherd without his sheep." **

The three ninjas look down in shame and couldn't say anything else.

"**I've found you three on the streets and brought you in. You swore an oath to me and you will do whatever it takes to get the mission done. If you fail me, you will be executed by my elite guards. That is how it is and that is how it will go. Do you have any last words?"**

The three ninjas didn't respond and their slumped postures tells him to just get it over with. They know it's inevitable so there's no point in further talking….

"**You three are an absolute disgrace to me." **He raises his hand and gives the signal to his guards. **"Dispose them."**

"The guards obeyed and draw their weapons. They instantly moved so fast that they looked like they teleported form their spot to where they are now. They surround the three ninjas who look even more terrified. Thing is though, it was their choice to join this club, and they signed an oath that they will be executed if they ever failed their master.. and so have to accept their fate, even if they are shaking and gonna be seeing death very soon.

The three ninjas sit up straight and spread their arms out, ready to accept death and just be done with it.

The guard with the Odachi slowly raises his weapons and prepares to end them…. He strikes down as the sword comes down and is just about to cut off the ninja's head...

"Uncle, wait." Said a feminine voice that came from the young masked woman.

Orochi raised his hand and orders his elite guard to halt his execution, which was a mere millimeter away from slicing the ninja's head in two.

"**Kamiko." **Orochi said, turning his head to the young girl who turns out to be his niece whom he dearly loves and cares for like as if she's his own daughter. **"You stopped me from executing these failures." **He pointed out.

"I did." She simply replied.

"**You stood their, many times before, and watched my guards execute many other failures before you and you watched them all die without flinching." **Orochi also pointed out. **"Yet, you stopped me from finishing them off.** **W****hy do you defend these worms when they have failed us?" **He asked. Even the ninjas were shocked about Kamiko suddenly defending them from death, even when they made their oath and will accept their fate if they failed master Orochi.

Behind her mask, she still shows an emotionless expression but what she's feeling is a different story.

The only thing she can remember and what reason… is a brief flashback of an image that shows her in casual clothing and her mask is off, along with her ponytail being undone which has her hair flowing down her back. The person she is hanging out with… is Rocky, who is laughing and telling her some corny jokes.

"The reason I stopped you is because we are running short on members of our gang and it's becoming more scarce to hire more lately. I'm just being logical that we should cut down on executing our members that failed us because the more we have, the better chance we can reach our goals and become rulers of Anima's underworld" She pointed out. Deep down, however, there was more than just being logical… she suddenly felt like seeing these ninjas getting executed just didn't feel right. She doesn't exactly know why when she didn't care before but it seems she doesn't want to see anymore executions lately.

"So I ask you, uncle. Would be wise to momentarily halt the executions and preserve whatever member we have left, until we retrieve more? You don't wanna run short and let the Spiders outcompete you, do you?"

Orochi stared at his niece in silence and then thought about it for a moment.

"**Hmmm…." **He thought out loud. **"I suppose you do have a good point there." **He scratched his chin that's under his helmet but than he darkly chuckled. **"Originally, I use this as a means to motivate the rest to work and fight harder. Fear is a motivation when you use fear ." **He chuckled darkly, remembering how often he executed any ninja that failed him. Most ninjas that swore their oaths were willing to die for him in failure… and there are those that tried to run away

Kamikaze remained silent.

He turns his head back to his niece and looks at her in the eyes. **"Very well****, Kamiko. I will temporarily cease the executions because you asked me to."**

Kamiko didn't say anything else. For such a cold blooded master of the Snake Eyes gang, he sure is quite a doting uncle who took care of her since… she turns her attention back to the ninjas who were shocked and surprised at seeing their mistress show mercy to them.

"**Though, that doesn't mean you won't go unpushinshed, as you've still failed me." **Orochi warned. **"Seize them to the chambers. I'll give them the proper punishment later on… and it's gonna cost them **_**piecely." **_He emphasized.

The guards dragged the three ninjas away but the ninjas were staring at Kamiko… they couldn't help but feel grateful she was being merciful on them. Sure, they will receive a different kind of punishment they dread but at least they can live another day.

As she watched them go, Kimako stayed silent. She still doesn't know why she did that when she could've let them die like she did with all the other previous failures of the gang that her uncle executed.

All that she can comprehend is linking that to Rocky. The target that the clan is after because he has something they need for their goal but her uncle never put any deep info about it. Nevertheless, she remains loyal to her uncle and will continue their mission to reach whatever goal he's reaching.

But things have started getting more complicated, especially recently, in the past few months.

She remembers when she first met him but never knew he was the target because of his different appearance compared to the image that her uncle showed her on his scroll…. An image when he used to be some kind of circus performer and also because of his hair style and he's a bit more toned compared to his more scrawny younger self…..

During their encounters… before she figured out and discovered he was the target the gang is after, she always dressed in casual clothing and met him at least a few weeks since Rocky was mostly in Anima and never traveled anywhere else. They always hung out and did fun things together, eating snacks, listening to his corny jokes (which Kamiko won't openly admit they are funny), and even watching a movie once. Through all of this, she never let her uncle knew and kept that a secret, even after she realized the boy she befriended was the target. She still had memories of those times.

Ever since she realized who Rocky was, Kamiko never shown her face to him again.. literally. Every other time they did encounter each other, she's always in her ninja gear and her mask that keeps her identity safe from her. Even changing her voice to hide her identity from rocky. She always attacked him but never succeeded in capturing or killing him.

Rocky himself felt bummed as he never saw that girl again and wonders where she went….. Only thing he can remember is her name.

What he doesn't know, is he's facing against a ninja that's the same girl he knew as a friend… ex-friend. Good thing is that she never revealed her uncle that secret.

Kamiko shakes her head and focuses back to reality. Her loyalty remains to her uncle, even if it means no longer being friends with Rocky.

She noticed Orochi was holding two photos in his hands… one that's Rocky and the other is the bearded man seen in Rocky's flashback.

"**Rocky Rhode Runner…." **Orochi hissed as he stared at both the photo of Rocky and the bearded man in the other photo.

The photos in his hands suddenly decayed and turned to dust which he crushed in his palm.

Kamiko didn't do or say anything but she did eye the photo that had Rocky on it the whole time just before the photos.

"**You can't avoid and hide from me forever." **Orochi growled. **"You may not know who we are but I sure know all about you and the man that raised and trained you. He may no longer be with you but you do have something he left with you and has been kept away from me…."**

* * *

**Kuchinashi Airport. 10:00 P.M**

The first thing that's seen from that transition is the necklace that's attached to Rocky's neck.

Rocky couldn't help but feel he's being watched so he tucks the necklace into his shirt again.

With that secured, he's seen walking inside the Haven Airport.

Located near the top of the mountain, The Kuchinashi Airport was filled to the brim with people by the thousands, coming in and out of many airships that are transporting tourists around the world, either to visit the kingdom or leaving it.

The area was packed full of people who are either here to take a flight to other kingdoms or are here waiting for family or loved ones to arrive and reunite.

Either way, the place is densely packed with people and faunus. A good place for someone like Rocky to move through and avoid attention from the Spiders. He was wearing a hoodie over his normal attire to blend in a little better. He also tucked his tail feathers under the hoodie to make it easier to be undetected and avoid the Snake Eye clan and Spider members from spotting him.

He heads to the passenger airship that will be taking off very soon. The airship in question was a rather fancy one, both the exterior and interior of it.

After going through the security checkpoints and having his boarding pass scanned, he quickly boards the airship and settles in. It's gonna be a long ride so he's got plenty of time to relax but he's so gonna enjoy it as this airship is also a cruise ship that's heading to Vale.

Once he got on board, everyone else that boarded also got on just in time for the airship to start taking off.

It steadily rose from the waters it floated on and flew out towards its next destination; Vale.

Rocky found his rented room that he will be resting for the night. That is, if he isn't partying and hanging out with the other party goers, especially the beautiful and bottom heavy girls.

Rocky was already on the dance floor of the cruise ship.

This place has everything you want! Dance floors, pools with water slides, miniature golf, the best restaurants, five star hotels with king sized beds, even a theater!

Those auction skills and his way of sneaking in and stealing the money helped Rocky get here. He used a good sum of money to come to this airship just because he wanted to and also wanted to have.

With his impressive dancing skills, he got the attention on most people whom were all impressed, even the girls who wanted to dance with him.

**3 hours later.**

Rocky was partying hard for quite some time with everyone that was in the club, especially the girls until he felt tired and wanted to take a break.

He decided to get some fresh air by taking it outside on a large balcony where there are also some people out here who are either smoking or wanting to get some air and enjoying the view.

The ship was thousands of feet above sea level and Rocky has a perfect view of the entire sea that reflects the stars and moon off like a colossal mirror.

For now, Rocky decides to just relax and get some rest. But not before deciding to just sit out on the balcony for a little while longer. He's been through a lot lately, especially with so many opponents chasing and trying to get at him.

He remains seated at the edge of the flying vehicle, he looks up at the broken moon and even sees a nearby shooting star that zoomed in the starry night. He quietly breaths out a calm sigh of contempt and continues to stare at the heavenly beauty that is the night sky.

But one thing he doesn't know… Rocky isn't the only one watching the night sky on the same night.

* * *

**Vacuo. 56 miles from Shade academy.**

Out in the middle of a rocky canyon, close to a desert, there lies a small cave where a campfire is burning, close to the entrance of the cave, as the cave isn't deep and big.

Near the campfire, there's somebody near it. A sign of orange hair and an orange elephant tattoo on his back.

It's Gale Hathi and he has traveled very far, across the savannas and deserts of Sanus for the past several weeks. Now he's almost to Shade Academy which he will use to board a ship or a flying cruiser to get to Vale.

He has spent most of his food and water he got from the jungle and villages. Now he's using his survival skills to hunt and scavenge whatever he can find, even if it's a small amount. Luckily, he managed to hunt and kill a wild canyon ibex which he has now skinned hanging the cut pieces of it over a fire.

While he silently waits for his dinner to be fully cooked, he was sitting out of the cave and watching the stars.

He couldn't help but stare out in the distance, remembering and missing his younger days that he used to sit on top of the mountain with his grandfather and watch the stars and moon together….

Gale may have overcome his guilt that held him back from ever leaving his homeland but the loss of his grandfather, especially at a young age, will always haunt him and he'll never forget the love and care his grandfather has always given him.

Gale was silent for a few minutes but then focused his mind on the delicious smell of fresh cooked meat that's ready to be eaten.

He turned his attention to the cooked meat and decides he should worry about his meal and get some sleep. He's nearly to Shade and will head straight to Vale.

He grabs a cooked piece of leg, like a drumstick, and starts digging in.

* * *

**The Green Sea. 942 miles from Sanus**

Meanwhile, on a boat; the same one that is heading to Sanus, still stopping close to other islands or landmasses to drop off or pick up more passengers.

It's the middle of the night and the ship is silently gliding over the surface of the sea, heading to its next stop.

Everyone is asleep, even the captain, as he put his ship on auto pilot and set up an emergency alarm if the ship detects any Grimm or obstacles in their way..

Despite that everyone is fast asleep, there is one soul that's awake and is occupying the deck, leaning against a wall and eating dark chocolate, as he enjoys the sweet and heavenly taste of it.

Despite enjoying his little snack, Nigel looks up and stares at the night sky, watching the same comet pass by like a flashing bullet.

He couldn't help but slightly smirk at the cosmic display and then returns his focus back to his chocolate bar and takes another bite. He has more than enough time to settle down until he arrives to the Kingdom of Vale.

* * *

**Emerald Forest. 39 miles from Vale.**

On top of a rocky hill that's close to Forever Fall, there is a campfire and two figures are near it.

Upon closer look, It turns out to be Adam Taurus and Blake Belladonna.

Blake is fast asleep, laying on top of her sleeping bag, still wearing her current outfit, but her cute little black bow is removed which shows her adorable cat ears that occasionally twitch in her sleep.

Nearby, there lies another sleeping bag that belongs to Adam but isn't using it.

Adam is found 10 feet away from the campfire. He's sitting near the edge of the hill, in silence.

He has his signature blue-bladed katana laying next to him, on his left, and also has his blue and white mask that's taken off and laying next to him, on his right.

Despite having his mask removed and his face exposed, Adam has his back turned and his face is shrouded by the darkness, fully hiding what his mask keeps from the rest of the world.

He's staring up at the sky and looking at the moon. He couldn't help himself but compare the moon with himself; both he and the moon are partially broken at one point in their existence and can never go back to what they used to look like…..

Adam couldn't help but slightly turned his head to his right and looks at Blake behind him, from the corner of his right eye, who was still soundly asleep.

Adam's right eye, which is baby blue, innocently staring at Blake, to make sure she's okay and peacefully asleep.

Adam feels happy that he chose to come with Blake, which was what he wanted helping do what is right for the both of them.

Though... that brings another unfortunate memory... that happened not too long ago.

He couldn't help but remember Vlad Tradat…. as he can still visualize the look of shock and betrayal in his eyes that slowly turned to malice and spite, as he and Blake left him behind. Adam knew Vlad would never join them.. because he despises humans and would never attend an academy…

He even lifted up his right hand, which still has his black glove on, and looks at his palm. He stares at his palm for a few seconds before clenching it tightly.

It makes Adam wonder…. what he and Blake did... was it for the better? Was it the right choice to leave behind White Fang and was it for the better? Or will that decision become his greatest mistake and downfall that will someday come back to bite him in the ass?

That also brought up another thing to mind that he worries and dreads… Vlad Tradat.

He can still remember the look in the bat faunus' eyes, when he and Blake left him behind…. A look of shock and disbelief that eventually turned to malice and spite. Adam couldn't help but feel slight grief and sorrow that he and Blake had to go but he knew Vlad wouldn't come with them, if he told him why he and Blake left White Fang, to find a more peaceful solution to end the hatred between both races. Vlad would never accept it, as he despises humans for his reasons that he would never share… only Adam knows Vlad's reasons.

Though, he's also worried what's Vlad's current situation.

Will he continue his status as part of the White Fang?

He's especially worried and afraid if Blake also gets caught in the crossfire of something that he considers at fault with… and he doesn't want that to happen.

A small part of him dreads that it might be true….. and it might in fact happen….. he silently hopes it doesn't…..

Either way, Adam can't worry about it now, because he and Blake have found a place, not too far away from their current location, that they may be their answer.

It's a place called Beacon Academy; a school to teach young huntsman in training to become full fledged huntsman. An opportunity to help Blake and Adam fight for justice in the right way and to also bring peace between the two races, along with exterminating the Grimm.

That is the goal Adam and Blake have found and tasked themselves to attend it.

Adam looks back up to the sky and notices the same comet passing by. He couldn't help but warmly smile; an emotion he rarely expresses by himself or to anyone, unless it involves Blake.

The focus slowly shifts from Adam to the sky, which shows a vast and endless sea of cosmic stardust and stars, that brighten the dark void like billions upon billions of fireflies.

Everything now fades to black.

* * *

As everything goes dark again, we see the image once again and for the last time. Adam, Nigel, and Gale are still in full view while the fourth member is still in his silhouette form.

Finally… the image ripples one last time and reveals the fourth and final member of ANGR…. Rocky Rhode Runner.

The young bird faunus is standing in place, with his arms crossed, his handguns strapped to his hips, and simply giving off a smile… a rather big smile that shows off his pearly whites, his eyes half lidded, and also having one eyebrow raised that makes him look so smug.

Now the team has been fully revealed.

Standing in the entire image is Adam Taurus, Nigel Arvo, Gale Hathi, and Rocky Rhode Runner, all in their glory. Blue, Violet, Orange, and Green. All four colors are now together. Even their respective first letters also appear with them that spell out "ANGR" in complete order.

Adam is giving off a determined and serious frown, Nigel is also frowning but his looks more subtle and calm, Gale is giving a genuine smile and looking confident, and Rocky... is giving off a rather dashing grin and looking so smug doing it… than suddenly winking with his right eye, despite being an image reflected off of the unknown liquid surface.

Right there, something else happens.

Appearing right behind the four boys, towering over them, are flickering flames of their respective color; it's their aura.

Their aura starts to take shape and form.

Behind Adam is a large and strong blue bull. It snorts, as it looks so calm and relaxed. it also scrapes its hoof on the ground.

Behind Nigel is a tall but pretty muscular looking violet kangaroo. It too looks calm and relaxed, while also being stoic. It scratched it's ear and sniffed the air.

Behind Gale is a gargantuan orange elephant with four tusks and large ears. It flaps its ears and lets out a massive roar, while curling its trunk.

Behind Rocky is a green roadrunner. Despite being the smallest of the other four, it still towered over the young faunus, as it shifted its head around several times and rustles its feathers. It suddenly gives out a rather cartoony "Meep-Meep" sound, after flicking its own tongue out of its beak.

The aura of ANGR, flicker out and are reabsorbed back into the four young men, as they continue to pose, still as statues.

With the members of ANGR finally revealed, everything went black for the last time.

* * *

**Rocky Rhode Runner**

**And that's the fourth and final trailer of the team.**

**Sorry it took so long again. Had a bit of writers block and also went to Florida for a little over a week so I didn't had much time.**

**Now we move onto the official story where the adventures of Adam and his future teammates will begin… an adventure awaits for them. **


	5. Where it all Started

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.**

**The OCs belong to me.**

**Team ANGR**

**Ch. 1; Where it all Started**

* * *

_The first thing to appear... is a void. A void of infinite darkness that stretches on for eternity. Nothing that exists in to fill it's empty blackness._

_Than... a voice is heard. A voice of a wise and elderly man who begins to narrate._

_"Every story... has a beginning."_

_Suddenly, a bright light flashed within the void. It's brightness illuminated and expanded even further, until it eventually engulfed all of the blackness of the void into a bright light._

_Than the light started to dim down until it was swallowed up by the black void. Leaving it in nothing but darkness again._

_"But a story cannot exist without a living soul to tell the tale."_

_Within the void, a small but bright speck of light appears. Unlike the last flash of light, it remains small but still shines; __It's a star that represents a story._

_"In time, many more living souls also begin to share their stories._

_Many more stars begin to illuminate and fill in the void of space, in the billions to trillions among the void._

_"In no time, the stories begin to evolve and branch out into new kinds of stories."_

_Eventually, more stars also begin to take different sizes and colors, ranging from tiny red dwarfs to massive blue and red hypergiants._

_"As more stories were created and shared, they eventually formed into a vast network of libraries with countless shelves that stored the stories for many readers to come and read them."_

_The stars multiplied nonstop, until they formed, along with the space dust and other cosmic matter that also exists, many nebulas and galaxies that filled out the void even more, until it no longer felt empty._

_"However, nothing can last forever. A story that has been told for many generations eventually end up either forgotten, missing, destroyed, worn down that they're unable to be read again, or forever lost in the dusts of time. But that also means new and fresher stories are made that will replace the missing ones for new generations to read."_

_Like the laws of the universe, within the galaxies and nebulas, many stars have come and gone. Most have lived for billions upon billions of years and, yet, they never last forever. They eventually reach their end and die, either as flashy supernovas or matter sucking blackholes. But most deaths of the stars also brings the birth of new ones, restarting the cycle all over again and keeping the universe lit in the darkness._

"_And, as they should, most stories have their chapters and setting that helps us know what and how the story will be."_

_We get a closer look at a random star that is surrounded by planets, moons, and asteroids. And the main focus is one planet that has water, land, an atmosphere,... and life. Orbiting the planet is a moon but it looks partially shattered._

"_Let us begin with a story that's about… Remnant." _

_The scenery then changed from showing the depths of space to the open valleys of Remnant._

"_Unfortunately, it apparently seems this story is missing many of it pages that are its previous chapters and especially its origins."_

_On Remnant, the landscape looks barren and empty, nothing exists on it, except for all the particles that look like ashes and dust that were drifting in the wind that expand for many miles._

"_Regardless, we shall continue to read where the pages still exists."_

_In the piles of ashes, something was stirring within it._

"_Long after the event that will forever be gone from the records of history, sentient life on Remnant begins to start anew once more."_

_The ash and dust covered ground stirred even more until something rose out of it… a silhouetted hand that was exposed to the outside world._

"_Like a Phoenix that has risen from the ashes, a sentient being, known as Man, was born."_

_Eventually, the hand was followed by another hand that dragged itself out of the ground and revealed itself; It's a human being. But due to the lack of other features and being a silhouette, it looks more like a mannequin. But it's enough to be portrayed as a human in the story. _

_Shortly after, more human beings crawled out of the dust covered ground._

"_Soon after, mankind started to multiply and spread across Remnant." _

_The human looked around and then looked at its hands, for a second, before starting to walk forward. Seconds later, many other humans crawl out of the ground and join the first human in pursuit of creating a society. Though, not far behind… there was one being that looked human… but had cat ears on it's head. _

_The scenery changes to show Remnant's entire map seen from space. Slowly spreading across the continents are beacons of light that represents humanity ... but what they are heading towards looks like some kind of cloud of blackness and red lightning that covers another part of Remnant that they're migrating towards ... and inside the cloud are many glowing red eyes._

"_But mankind is not alone in this world and they are not the only ones that occupy it. In fact, there is something else that has been around long before humans even came into existence ... and it's a dark force of destruction that will test humanity's survival."_

_We now see a group of humans traveling the open plains, looking for new shelter and resources, only armed with a few stone clubs along with bows and arrows… but what they now see is a cloud of darkness and crimson lighting that is right in front of them._

"_A force that's bent on the destruction of humanity and everything they have created…."_

_Inside that cloud of darkness… a pair of glowing red eyes appear and stare right at the humans who look frightened and on guard, despite lacking a face. But the pair of eyes weren't alone as several more pairs of eyes also appear within the cloud. Some even have as much as four eyes each. The creatures stepped out of the darkness and out into the open… revealing themselves as animalistic abominations of darkness that resemble monstrous animals with hellish red eyes._

"_The Creatures of Grimm. The very monsters that only exist to destroy mankind until they are wiped off the face of Remnant."_

_The Grimm crawled out of the cloud and revealed themselves. They come in all different shapes and sizes as they snarled and growled at the unfortunate and frightened humans._

"_Man was terrified and vulnerable…in which the Grimm took every moment of it to their twisted advantage."_

_The Grimm howeld, screeched, and roared, as they chased and hunted down the fleeing humans who had little defenses to fight off the Grimm. The ones that stayed behind and tried to fight off the Grimm stood little chance against the overwhelming ferocity of the creatures of darkness._

_A beowulf was seen tackling a rather unfortunate human that tried to fight it… and it clamped its jaws around his throat. A Nevermore swooped down and snatched up a fleeing human and flew off into the distance. A Barboartusk steamrolled through several more humans like bowling pins. An Ursa knocks down several humans that tried to fight it with a swipe of its claws._

"_Despite their numbers and determination… the humans stood little chance in a direct battle against the Grimm's superior might and feral nature._

_Several more unfortunate humans got mauled and slaughtered. A random Beowulf leaps forward and clamps his jaws down towards the POV of another screaming human ... until the screen turns black but there are red splotches of blood smeared across the screen….._

"_As time passed, the humans started losing ground and numbers."_

_The scenery shows the map once more…. With the beacons of light dwindling and fading, as the black cloud begins to surround and swallow up the remaining specks of light. _

"_It seems there is no sign of hope for humanity, as the Grimm will soon corner them and finish them off like sheep at a slaughterhouse… this may be the end for mankind, where they will be gone as soon as they have came into existence."_

_The scenery changed to now showing a random human who is out scouting for resources but they're barely finding any since the Grimm has taken up most of Remnant by now. Just as he was about to give up and head back to camp… he saw a dim, colorful, light in the corner of his eye_

"_That is… until they have found something that will give them an edge to turn the tides… and will forever change their world."_

_The scout saw what looked like a blue mineral partially buried in the ground. He reached over and grabbed it between his fingers. He gently pulled it out of the ground and rests it in his palm in which he scratches bits of dirt off of it and gets a better look at it. _

_It's a blue crystal that appears to be dimly glowing._

"_Dust; The very tool and weapon that has benefited humanity's survival and advancement, even to this day."_

_Another scenery shows a random human starts glowing with a strange aura of energy flowing around himself… he looks confused and everyone else around him were confused too. But it didn't stop there as another human close by is now producing a little flicker of fire in his hand…. _

"_They also discovered something else that will also give them the edge in battle; Aura and Semblance."_

_The scenery changes once more. Now showing the humans battling the Grimm, this time, more heavily armed and prepared. A battle is being waged, showing the humans and even a few faunus, in armor and are armed with more practical weapons; swords, axes, spears, even guns, in addition to their newly discovered Aura, Semblance, and Dust._

"_With these upgrades, humanity began to turn the tides and evens out the battle with the Grimm."_

_Now we see a battle of humans fighting the Grimm. There are even a few faunus have joined the battle and are fighting the Grimm with the humans, after being in the shadows for too long and they too wanna help, despite their differences. _

"_However, despite the humans and faunus are able to fight evenly with the Grimm and even slay many of them in battle, it was still an uphill battle for them."_

_A group of armored warriors were standing over the corpses of smaller cannon fodder Grimm… only to be to see more Grimm in the distance… and a lot of them are gargantuan in size which include Goliaths, Nevermores, Death Stalkers ,Sea Feilong, and even a massive dragon Grimm and an even bigger kaiju Grimm that roar in the distance._

"_But eventually, humanity has driven the Grimm back far enough to create their own civilization and settlements."_

_The map is shown again but now it shows several major beacons of light shining and driving the dark clouds back. Massive settlements are seen and located in certain spots that eventually become the major cities that are still around today._

"_With the four major settlements that became what are now the Four Kingdoms of Remnant, humanity has won the battle… but not the war."_

_The four giant beacons of light, along with a few smaller ones that are scattered, remain standing but are surrounded by the dark clouds that make up the majority of Remnant._

"_The Grimm still remain a threat to humanity… even when kept at bay, they still patiently wait, looking for a single sign of weakness and fear…. If the Four Kingdoms' fortitudes and defenses ever crumble and fall…. than all will be lost and humanity will forever be vanquished and darkness shall return once more."_

_The map slowly darkens and the beacons of lights flicker out, symbolizing what would happen if the kingdoms fell._

"_But fear not. Remnant has trained for countless generations in building academies, training new young students to become full grown and fledged huntsmen, and mining large deposits of Dust to keep everyone secure. As long as there's even one small flicker of hope left… humanity will continue to persist and survive…. However….. can the new generation of Huntsmen even be enough to vanquish the darkness… once and for all?"_

_The screen goes black once more._

* * *

**Vale.**

In the middle of downtown Vale, one of the cities in one of the four kingdoms, it's the middle of the night and the shattered moon is once again seen in the middle of the night sky. Human and faunus, as everyone is either asleep or out at local bars or clubs. Regardless, there are some signs of life that are walking down the streets or just hanging around with their friends, families, or lovers.

On one street in Vale lies a building that is a shot that has a sign on it called "From Dust Till Dawn" owned by a shopkeeper… named the Shopkeep. He's an elder man in his late 60's and he's bald, with the top of his head with his hair on the side, and has bushy eyebrows over his eyes that are shut.

The interior of the building wasn't anything to go by as fancy but it makes up for having all the practical items and goods it has on sale for any needy customer.

Due to the store's name, the selling point of the store is in fact Dust; the most common and profitable resource on the market. And if you look closer, you can notice the brands that are sold here and many other stores, you can notice the symbol looks almost like a snowflake which is in fact the logo and brand of the Schnee Dust Company; the most successful and dominant company to import and sell Dust on an international scale.

Here, Dust is sold in all different states; their natural crystallized states or their grounded up powered states which makes to contain and preserve in different containers of different shapes and sizes. Though, both states are naturally unstable and are highly explosive so a lot of authorized precaution and only those with a proper Dust license and owner of a weapon that they know how to wield can buy the elemental source of energy.

But Dust isn't just the only product sold here. There's also plenty of other stuff to buy; like magazines, souvenirs, knick knacks, and even snacks.

Though, the store is rather quiet and not busy, since it's night time and most people are either asleep or have other things to do. The Shopkeep is busy standing at his counter which showcases all the dust crystals under a glass case which are bullet proof so no one can easily break them to steal the valuable minerals. Near the walls are giant tubes which also contain powered Dust in larger quantities.

Even when there isn't a lot of customers tonight, there are at least two that are still here.

Standing near a shelf that has bags and jars of dust is a male figure but it turns out to be Rocky Rhode Runner himself. He appears to be having a good time since a whistling tune can be heard that sounds so cheerful.

Down here in Vale, he's quite enjoying it the view and the places to visit. The restaurants have very delectable cuisines of many kind, they got lots of book shops that include all kinds of classic novels, comics, and even manga which the latter are very common in Anima.

Rocky has everything jotted down that he had to do is complete so now Rocky is just chilling until his flight that will take him to Beacon Academy to take off around tomorrow. So for the heck of it, he decided to get some fresh air and visit many places of the city which is very nice and artistic.

It's been two weeks since Rocky has left Kuchinashi and only arrived the next day and a half after. Though, he couldn't help but feel confused about how he was able to get past all the airport security in the airport when he took part in some of the destruction in Kuchinashi but none of the security guards felt suspicious nor arrested him when they saw his face and passport… perhaps he was just lucky he was in that get up in the theater and also because Wily must have hacked the security cameras and erased any shots that have a close up of his and Wily's faces.

Speaking of Wily, Rocky wonders how the coyote faunus is doing in Haven. He doesn't have to guess he's likely already signed up and did the entrance exam in order to attend. He deeply hopes Wily is doing good in passing that entrance exam and getting ready to attend that academy. That will surely help him find teammates who will also be his friends who will actually acknowledge and care for him. But, for himself, Rocky needs to focus on his preparation to become a huntsman.

Besides the shopkeep, Rocky seems to be the only other guy here… except, there's one more person, nearby, who is at the magazine section and is reading a magazine that advertises weapons of all kinds.

The person turns out to be a young girl, likely around in her mid teens. Rocky could tell, despite not seeing her face because of her outfit that consists of a black long-sleeved dress with a high collar and red trim sleeves. A black clincher that's around her waist and a black skirt with red trim. She also wears black stockings and a pair of black combat boots with red lacing.

But what she has that stands out is her red cape that also has a red hood which she drapes over her head. He can't see her due to the hood and her face being buried in that weapons magazine… does this girl like weapons so much?

Rocky has already seen this girl several minutes ago but never started a conversation or even said hello to her...because he can hear the blaring music which likely means she's wearing a pair of headphones.

"_Seriously. She could go deaf hearing music at that kind of volume… I could hear it all the way from over here." _Rocky thought in concern but decides to mind his own business since that's her decision.

He was looking through the shelves to find the right container size that holds Dust which he uses as ammunition that fits in the slots of his double barreled revolvers. However, every time he's looking for the right Dust and vials he needs, it's the same symbol that he has seen many times; The Schnee Dust Company.

The problem is with Rocky and that symbol is because every time he looks at it keeps reminding him about Atlas and his first and only time he performed in Atlas… which was not an enjoyable experience…..

He can still remember the sounds of boos and insults directed at him that echoed in the building where he performed… he doesn't want to think about it any further and continues to find the Dust and vials he needs. Even if he had a rather bad experience with Atlas, he's still more than willing to buy the Dust that's branded by the same company that is from Atlas because he needs the ammo for his weapons.

However, before Rocky could think any further, he heard the tingle of a bell when the door opened, indicating customers have entered the shops…. only for Rocky to realize these guys don't look like your normal customers, once he turned his head and got a glimpse of them. Thankfully, he was further back so he didn't need to try to duck and cover. In fact, he stayed right where he was and just used his ears to listen.

The newcomers that entered the shop definitely don't look like your average customer. Heck, they look like a bunch of well dressed lead by another guy that looks like some kind of notorious criminal but Rocky instantly recognized who he was… the nefarious Roman Torchwick.

Standing at 6'3", Roman Torchwick is young man that appears to be in his early to mid 20's, with dark green eyes, and bright, long, orange hair with long bangs that cover his right eye. He has black eyeliner traced across his visible left eye.

He also carries a cane and is smoking a cigar.

He wears a red lined white suit with black pants and black shoes. He also wears a gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a red band with a small feather tucked in it.

The henchmen, on the other hand, are just wearing black suits with a matching pair of black hats and black shoes. They also wear red ties and red sunglasses, along with being armed with a red sword they carry with them.

"_Isn't that… Roman Torchwick?" _Rocky thought, a bit surprised. _"The notorious criminal and fugitive that is infamous for robbing many Dust shops and banks?" _Since he used to work for the Spiders, surely, he has heard a lot about Roman Torchwick and his infamous crimes he has committed. Seeing him in person is wasn't what he expected at a time like this.

As much as he wanted to face them, he wanted to know what Roman is up to so Rocky can formulate a plan.. and he's in a Dust shop which makes it too risky to use his weapons since the Dust here are highly explosive, even when properly contained.

Roman and the henchmen he hired from Junior's club are in front of the Shopkeep who looks very nervous as he instantly recognized Roman who's now in his store and likely

Roman gently taps his cigar which causes pieces of burnt pieces of it to sprinkle across the counter top which made the shopkeep feel a bit upset since he just cleaned that counter.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" Roman smoothly asked, while one of the henchmen points a gun at the Shopkeep's face who raises his hands and looks scared but tries to remain calm.

"P-Please!" He pleaded. "Just take my Lien and leave!"

"Shh, shh, shh, shh! Calm down, we're not here for your lien." Roman said calmly to the shopkeep, despite that he's robbing him. "Grab the Dust." He ordered the other henchmen and they got to work.

One of them placed what looked like some kind of briefcase that they open up and they pull out what looked like cylinder containers which the men started pulling out and headed to the nearby large tubes that were against the walls and they were filled with Dust. Each of them went to a tube and inserts the container to the tube and starts filling them up.

One henchman opens another briefcase in front of the Shopkeep. "Crystals; Burn and uncut." He ordered.

With no choice, since a gun is still pointed at his head, the shopkeep had no choice but to cooperate, as he delicately grabs the Dust crystals and gently places them in the briefcase.

Seeing the whole thing, Rocky can deduce it's definitely a robbery.

"_Yep… it's definitely a robbery. This ain't a drill, people!" _Rocky thought and begins to try thinking of something to safely.

However… he suddenly hears a familiar tune he heard just minutes ago.

"Wait… don't tell me." Rocky muttered, quietly enough to not be heard by Roman and the goons, as he slowly turns his head towards the direction where the music is coming from.

Standing near the magazines is that red hooded girl who is still reading a magazine that shows off cool weapons.. and still wearing those headphones over her ears, apparently.

"... Seriously?" Rocky whispered out loud. "She's STILL standing there?! Being oblivious to the obvious dangers that this is a robbery and she's just- Ah who am I kidding." Rocky said plainly, as he noticed some rectangular shaped object that's red and black, strapped to her, which looks like some kind of weapon. "She's got a weapon and she looks like she can protect herself." He added as the girl looks like she stands out among most.

Now feeling assured the girl can handle herself and likely flatten that mook without even trying.

"_I mean, she does look like a main character, with that hood that doubles as a cape." _He thought before worrying about what he should do.

After several seconds of thinking, he suddenly had an idea. Though, as crazy as it is, it's better than nothing.

One of the henchmen was walking up one of the tubes to fill up one of his containers… until he saw someone in the corner of his eye which he turned his direction towards. He finds some roadrunner faunus teen busily looking at some small glass jars and glass vials with wooden cork stoppers that are used to contain the dust in the vials or jars that the store sells.

He was busily selecting a few corked vials filled with Dust on display, popping each cork off of the vial and sniffing them. After he's done with the smelling he puts the cork back in and looks for another vial.

He grabbed a random vial that had light Blue colored Ice Dust, popped the cork off the vial and smelled the cork for a second. He avoided smelling the dust directly as it could risk nasal irritation that's followed by a sneeze… that could lead to sneezing a crater.

"Hmm… very minty, with a dash of Arctic Berry. Quite refreshing" He deduced and softly signed in content of the pure scent from the cork. "Such a fine and elegant aroma. The Schnees should focus more on the production with Dust by their scents."

The henchman raised an eyebrow and wonders is this faunus being oblivious that this is a robbery or is he just being arrogant and trying to look like he isn't afraid. Either way, this faunus doesn't seem worried or concerned that this is a robbery which is annoying him.

He turns his attention towards the roadrunner faunus and points his gun at him.

"Hey, you." The henchman says, approaching the faunus boy who doesn't flinch or even turn his head towards the gun pointing at him. "Put your hands up where I can see them."

But Rocky doesn't answer and sniffs another vial which contains some white colored Earth Dust.

"Ahh.. now that's more like it." Rocky sighed. "Smells like I'm walking through a vast valley covered in dense forest, with freshly grounded earth and nutrient rich soil beneath my feet. A perfect spot for life to nourish and grow…."

A tick mark grows on the henchman's forehead. Feeling really annoyed that he's being ignored and especially that the faunus either doesn't sound indimited or he's being cocky.

He grits his teeth and starts marching over to Rocky. "Hey! I said put your hands in the air! Are you deaf or something?!"

Rocky still doesn't answer and, this time, picks up two vials of Dust which one is yellow colored Lightning Dust and the other is green colored Wind Dust.

"Ooo… now that scent gives you a tingly and jolting feeling with an added twist of lemon." Rocky sighed once again and smells the other one. "And this one; nothing like feeling your spirit being lifted from your body and drifting away in the calm breeze, like a dainty, little, dandelion seed.

The henchman was losing his patience and he marched even closer that his gun was aiming at Rocky's head at near point blank.

"Do you wanna die, punk?!" The henchman shouted, with impatience, but Rocky still didn't flinch.

Than Rocky reached for yet another vial…. A vial that contains red colored Fire Dust.

"Hey!" The henchman warned. "Don't you dare sniff that! You kept ignoring my orders so you better not do what I think you're gonna do."

Rocky slowly popped the cork off of the vial and slowly lifted it towards his nose.

"I'm warning you!" The henchman shouted, already wrapping his finger around the trigger, ready to shoot the moment Rocky takes a single whiff of that cork.

The cork was now mere inches away from Rocky's nostrils and he looked like he was about to sniff it…..

THUNK!

Before the henchman could even react, something happened very swiftly that it was like a mere blur to him.

He swore he felt something hit his gun that he took a step back and inspected his gun….. stuck inside the muzzle is a wooden cork.

What the henchman didn't see was that Rocky used his semblance, moved so fast, and plugged the muzzle of the gun with the cork he was holding in his hand, one with one movement of his arm and he was still standing in place.

Rocky goes back to the vial of red Dust and gently sniffs it, making sure not to inhale the dust into his nostrils and sneeze by accident.

"Ah… now this has a more spicy and passionate scent. I think I shall buy it." Rocky said and gently holds the vial in his hand.

The henchman gritted his teeth and finally had enough with this cocky and arrogant faunus who was making a fool out of him.

"Why you little-!" He growled as he pulled the trigger, not even believing a mere wooden cork will stop his bullet ... except that it somehow did.

The moment the trigger was pulled, the wooden cork somehow stopped the bullet from exiting the muzzle and caused it to backfire. Somehow, the bullet suddenly shot out of the other end of the gun and BARELY flew over the guy's head and shot through his hat, leaving a bullet sized hole.

The henchman was speechless at what just happened and that shouldn't be physically possible.

Apparently, Rocky also used his semblance for that to happen to just by using the cork to make that happen.

"Or just plain comedy. Let's call it that." He casually notes and turns his attention back to the henchman who was still shocked out of his wits at what just happened.

Before Rocky could say anything witty, there was a loud sound of an impact that was followed by a crashing sound.

Near the entrance, Roman was busily waiting for his hired henchmen to get the job done… but seeing one of them flying doesn't make him bat an eye. He just lazily gestures his head to another nearby henchman and orders him to deal with it. The henchman runs over to the threat, which turns out to be that hooded girl, and aims his own gun at her.

"Freeze!" He shouts but he has no idea who he's dealing with.. And it's too late to even pull the trigger for him.

But the scenery now shows outside of the store to one of the windows… and we see the young hooded girl and henchman crashing through the window… with the hooded girl coming out with a flying kick and sending the henchman crashing outside.

"And now comes the epic theme song!" Rocky spouted out loud as the music was blaring and Rocky can hear it, despite that there isn't suppose to be any music that is heard because it's coming from the girl's headphones.

Through the window, Roman and the henchmen watch the girl, who is now outside, stand up on her two feet and reveals her weapon that Rocky saw earlier. It transforms and unfolds itself into a new shape which now looks like a black and red, large mechanical scythe. But if one could look closer, the handle also looks to be the part of an advanced sniper rifle, as it has all the features of one. Basically, it's a hybrid of a sniper rifle and a scythe.

She turns her head around and smirks towards her opponents, now revealing her face. She's a young girl at the age of 15, standing at 5'2", with black, neck length, choppy hair that graduates to red at the tips. She also has a pair of silver eyes. Rocky can also see she's wearing a brooch with bullets and even her emblem which looks like a rose that's silver in color.

She twirls her weapon of choice with ease and slams the pointed tip of the blade into the road that she cratered it and sent tiny splintered pieces flying in the air., while her cape gently flaps in the wind. Seconds after the pose, she turns off the music from her headphones she was holding in her other hand.

"Oh come on! I was enjoying that part of the song!" Rocky complained but the henchman that was confronting him who also saw the girl outside turned his attention back to the faunus.

"Just what are you babbling about?!" The henchman yelled. Finally confused and unable to comprehend what is going on.

"This." Rocky answered and does an epic drop kick that sends the henchman flying through the other window, shattering it and sending him skidding across the ground which shortly stopped.

Roman, the other henchman, and even the girl took notice and stared at the window whom they see Rocky leaping out of the window, doing several epic flips in midair, and gracefully lands on his feet, about 10 feet away from the silver eyed girl.

The girl turned her attention to the mysterious figure and she instantly figured he's a faunus since she saw his tail feathers. She hasn't met too many faunus in her life but she knows what they are and he's no human for having a pair of tail feathers.

"Whoa." The girl said in surprise, especially awed by Rocky's epic acrobatics and landing with such grace. She was so busy reading the weapon magazines and drowning her ears in her music, she never even noticed him in the store for once until right now.

The henchman that Rocky drop kicked out of the window was shuffling away from Rocky and now looked to be in utter distress. First the cork in the bullet and now the drop kick, he's just not catching a break at this moment.

"J-Just… Wh… Who are you?!" The henchman stuttered, staring at the faunus who is now slowly standing up but still has his back turned. He quickly draws his double barreled revolvers from under his coat and twirls with delicate precision.

The silver eyed girl suddenly had stars in her eyes and made a loud gasp of awe as she eyed those awesome revolvers.

"Who am I, you say?" Rocky answered, sounding mysterious and even a bit dark. He turns around, gets into his signature stance, and gives the answer, in a deep and low pitched voice.

**_"I'm Batman."_**

There was an awkward silence that nobody.

Nobody knows what the word of that name even means and they all just stared at him in silence. Even the silver eyed girl didn't understand what the faunus was trying to say that makes sense.

Roman puffed his cigar and just stared at the guo in silence, but he was especially appalled by the roadrunner faunus sounding like an idiot.

"Okayyyy…." Roman droned at the sudden awkwardness, especially towards Rocky who wasn't making any sense to the situation. It's obvious that these two are gonna be a pain in the ass to his heist which is already being ruined.

He looks at the other henchmen that were still standing and gestures his head towards the two teens, giving them the signal to attack them. "Get em!"

Taking the commands of Roman, the remaining henchmen exit the building and charge toward duo who don't look indimitated in the slightest.

"Whelp. Seems like it's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum… and I'm all out of bubblegum." Rocky boasts in which, this time, made the silver eyed girl snicker at that one-liner but she quickly regained her focus and turned her attention to the henchman.

Both the silver eyed girl and roadrunner faunus spring into action.

For the girl, one henchman tried to slash her but she jumped up and balanced on her scythe that was still embedded to the ground. With impressive acrobatic skills, she spun around with enough momentum to smash her feet into his face and sends him flying back, even knocking his sunglasses off his face. Rocky noted that impressive move as he too is an acrobatic.

Next, she landed on the ground and gets into position by holding her scythe behind her back. She pulls the trigger of her weapon that causes it to shoot a powerful shot that causes it to recoil and uses the momentum to spin her around and smashes her scythe-gun against another henchman that sent him flying upwards. Rocky swore he saw rose petals upon impact.

Than she uses the rest to slam it down on another like a hammer which knocked him down and out. She dodged another henchman unloading his machine gun on her by shooting her gun which propelled her away which she zigzagged all over the place, with the help of her gun's recoil, until she blitzed the fourth henchman which resulted her ramming into him that sent him hurtling into the air. She stopped by raking the blade into the pavement which sent her swinging upwards smashing that henchman back into the ground near Roman.

At the same time, Rocky also got into action, while also glimpsing at the silver eyed girl and seeing what she can do which impressed him.

One henchman tried to slice him with a sword but Rocky casually sidestepped to the side and tripped him, causing him to trip forward but Rocky reached out and grabbed him but the back of his collar and easily tosses him into another henchman that sends them both tumbling away. Another henchman tried to shoot him but Rocky beat him by already shooting one of his revolvers and fires an explosive First Dust bullet that explodes on contact and sends him flying.

During her fight, the silver eyed girl also kept in eye on Rocky and she couldn't help fangirl on his weapons that she was grinning… they just look so cool!

Another henchman managed to get near Rocky and tried to hit him with an overhead chop but Rocky casually blocks it with one of his revolvers and presses his other revolver against the blade and pulls the trigger, shooting a regular bullet that shatters the sword to metal splinters. The goon steps back and looks at his now broken blade in shock until Rocky twirled his gun and was now holding it by the barrel. He swung his gun like a club which slammed the handle against the goon's cheek and sends him rolling dozens of feet away.

Rocky than mixed Water Dust with some Earth Dust and created some Mud Dust which was dark brown in color. He shot a mud ball that splattered into the face of yet another henchman but the mud also splashed all over the ground which made most of them slip and fall to the ground. Rocky than fired an Ice Dust bullet which froze the mud which the henchmen got stuck in.

He suddenly dashed forward and did a crazy roundhouse kick on another henchman and sent him flying towards the stuck henchmen which shattered the frozen mud and also sent them hurtling in the air like bowling pins.

Most of all, the henchman that tried to shoot Rocky back inside the store finally had it and charged at full speed, with his sword drawn.

"That's it! I had with you! I'm taking you down, even if it's the last thing I'll do!" He screamed, coming at Rocky from behind who doesn't even bother moving. Just as the henchman was about to swing down, Rocky suddenly perform a backhand and smacked the man right in the face, so hard that it broke his sunglasses which shattered and fell off his face.

The henchman stumbled back and turned around, dazed from the hit.

Than Rocky did something unexpectedly as he grabbed the back of the guy's pants.

**"ATOMIC WEDGIE!"** Rocky shouted and yanked the henchman's tighty whities out of his pants so high that he even folds them over his head. The henchman gave out a painful squeal before Rocky gave him a hard kick in the butt that sent him skidding towards Roman.

"There. That takes care of all of you." Rocky said out loud.

The silver eyed girl saw that part and couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle of the wedgie. Though, she got over that quickly and got a good look at Rocky's revolvers that she's more interested. She started to comically dart towards him with stars in her eyes once more.

"Are those double barreled revolvers?!" She frantically asked as she was darting around Rocky and inspecting those cool weapons. "So awesome! I've never seen these in person! They are so rare and they are also very hard to make! Did you even make them?!"

Rocky was caught by surprise and was a little astonished of this hyperactive young girl taking a liking to his weapons.

"Uhh… Yeah I-" Rocky tried to answer but the girl interrupted again, this time she suddenly turned into some chibi version of herself which didn't seem to shock or surprise Rocky.

"How long did you have them?! How often do you use them in combat?! How many bullets and Dust cartridges do they hold?! How can your weapons mix Dust without causing unstable results?! Can you combine all the Dust into one awesome combination?! Did I also mention how awesome your outfit and mohawk are?!" Basically, the girl was just asking too many questions and she was zipping all around Rocky like some a pesky insect but Rocky wasn't that annoyed and couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.

"Too many questions! Too many questions!" He shouted but out of amusement rather than annoyance.

Suddenly, the chibi version of the girl stopped zipping around, along with giving off a look of shock and slight embarrassment. She suddenly shifted back into her default appearance and gave a sheepish grin.

"Eh he he he…" She nervously chuckled while still holding her weapon. "Sorry about that. Just got a little too excited on your weapon since… you know… me and my addictive love for weapons?"

Rocky smirked and chuckled, amused by this girl's obsession for weapons. It's like looking at a kid at a candy shop… or more like a kid at a weapons shop.

Before Rocky could say anything, they turned their attention back to Roman looked unamused.

"You were worth every cent." Roman sarcastically said to the pathetic display of the henchmen he hired not even landing a single hit on the two teens. "Truly, you were."

He turns his attention back to Ruby and Rocky, as he takes his cigar out of his mouth.

"Well, Red and Bird Brain-" Rocky grew a tick mark on his head, not liking that nickname given to him. "-I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." Torchwick dropped the cigar to the ground and puts it out beneath his cane. Rocky notices the bottom of the cane has a cut out design that looks like the face of a jack-o-lantern, indicating that's his emblem.

Roman than raised his cane and aimed it towards the duo. "And as much as I'd love to stick around…."

Rocky notices the bottom of the cane has a hole in it….

"I'm afraid this…"

Much to Rocky's surprise, the bottom opens which reveals itself to be a reticle and the hole is the muzzle… basically, the cane is also a gun.

"... is where we part ways."

Roman pulls the trigger and fires a flaming projectile of Fire Dust that sounded like a firework going off. It hurtled towards the duo but the silver eyed girl shot her gun to the ground which sent her upwards and Rocky managed to react to the projectile and leapt out of the way. Once it hit the spot they were standing on, the projectile created a large and powerful explosion that tore up the pavement.

Rocky and his apparent new acquaintance safely landed back on the ground and look towards Roman but he's nowhere to be seen. Nothing but the downed henchmen whom were all incapacitated.

"What that?! Where did he go?!" Rocky said out loud and darted his head around

The girl turned her head around to find any sighs of Roman.

"Over there!" She alerted Rocky and pointed at Roman who was climbing up the ladder of a nearby building towards the roof.

"Huh. Either he has super speed that we didn't know about or I'm otherwise baffled how he got over there so fast…" Rocky said out loud.

Back near the shop, the Shopkeep comes out of the door and looks relieved he's saved and the targets are neutralized. He even noticed some lien are placed on his countertop. When Rocky was about to jump out that window earlier, he bought the Fire Dust he chose and paid for it with the right amount of lien.

"You okay if we should go after him?" The girl turned her head to the Shopkeep who was now at the exit of his shop and looking at the duo.

"Uh huh!" The shopkeep nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, his shop was getting robbed and he had a gun pointed at his head... so there's no need for a guess what his answer would be." Rocky added.

And with that, the two teens are in pursuit and chase after the nefarious criminal. Roman managed to reach the top and starts running again but the girl used her sniper-scythe to boost her up but she also grabbed Rocky by his arm and hoisted him up with her and both reached the top in a near instant.

"Hey!" The girl shouted at Roman who stopped in his tracks since he heard her.

"Yeah, you!" Rocky added. "Stop running like a coward and face us! I thought you were some nefarious crime boss known all over Vale, not some uptight pretty boy who is running with his tail between his legs!" He further mocked.

Hearing what that faunus just said to him…. made Roman tighten his fist that's wrapped around his cane and barely had enough self control to not snap.

"Persistent…" He sighed under his breath, obviously annoyed of these two teenagers ruining his heist and now one of them has the guts to insult him.

Before Rocky could step forward, he heard a loud sound that got even louder by the second. It was coming from the other side of the building. Seconds after, something huge appears from the other side and is flying above everyone.

It's a Bullhead; a Vertical Take off and Landing vehicle and it's havering right in front of Roman and the two teens.

"Is that a Bullhead?!" Rocky says out loud. He's seen them before and those are the kinds of aircraft that the Snake Eye ninjas and the Spiders have used to try looking for him back in Kuchinashi. Thankfully, Wily's disguise fooled them enough for Rocky to get away in time and here is now.

The Bullhead was so close by that it's propulsion system was creating a large gust of wind that the silver eyed girl's hair was blowing in the wind and Rocky's mohawk was also getting blown and falling apart.

"This is getting interesting, now!" Rocky shouted as loud as he could over the loud noise the Bullhead was making.

Inside the Bullhead, somebody is piloting it but nobody can see who it is but Rocky swore he got a mere glimpse that looks like a woman.

The side hull opens up and Roman jumps in. He turns around and glares at the two teens that are now being a thorn in his side.

"End of the line, both of you!" Roman shouts as he tosses a large crystal of red Fire Dust towards the duo but it suddenly exploded in halfway towards the duo. The explosion was also very massive that it even pushed the Bullhead back a bit which also caused the pilot to put in effort to steady the vehicle and Roman stumbled around and trying to keep balance.

"What the-?!"

Standing there was Rocky with steam billowing out of the barrel of his revolver.

"Sorry, pal. But it's gonna take more than tossing a piece of Dust like a bean bag and shooting it to make it explode to catch us off guard." Rocky explained and smirks. The girl was smirking too and she too would have thought of that.

Roman gritted his teeth and suddenly pulled out two Dust crystals in one hand each. It's another Fire Dust crystal but he also had a Lightning Dust crystal too.

"Oh yeah, Bird Brain?! Than how about this?!" He tossed the Lightning Dust crystal first and the Fire one shortly after.

But Rocky quickly figured what Roman was trying to do but the silver eyed girl wanted to follow Rocky's example and aims her rifle.

"Wait! Don't shoo-!" But it was too late. The silver eyed girl shot the Lighting Dust crystal which exploded. While it did create a massive explosion of electricity that was in midair, it didn't hit anyone and also sent bolts of lighting in nearly every direction, some even scorching parts of the roofs and nearby buildings. It nearly hitting the teenagers which distracted them long enough for the Fire Dust crystal. The Bullhead

Roman ainms his cane and fires at the crystal, this time, intending to cause a large explosion that will surely kill, or at least incapacitate, those brats.

"Oh Cra-!" Rocky shouted but he also saw something darted right in front of him and the girl, just before the projectile hits the crystal which caused a massive explosion.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho!" Roman cheered, believing he's beaten those nuisances and feeling satisfied. However, the dust was clearing and Roman saw something that surprised him. "Huh?"

When the smoke cleared, Rocky and the silver eyed girl was fine and unscathed. What caused them to be alive, however, was revealed.

There was a large purple glyph with arcane runes. Each circle of runes that made up the glyph were spinning in different directions and it turned out to be the thing that shielded the teens from certain doom.

The person who summoned the glyph revealed herself to be a woman. A full fledged huntress, if you will.

The huntress stands at a staggering 6'5", is somewhere around her mid to late 30's, maybe even into her 40's, and has a pale skin complexion. Her eyes are bright green and her hair is light blonde tied in a bun and with a curl hanging down the right side of her face.

She wears a white long-sleeved , pleated top that has a wide keyhole neckline, which also shows off her cleavage of her rather impressive chest, and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at her wrists. For her lower body, she wears a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons that tightly wraps around her wide hips, blackish-brown stockings wrapped around her thick legs, and black boots with bronze heels.

For accessories, she has thin ovular glasses, teal earrings, and a black cape with stylized ends that resembles flames and arrows, along with a pair of beads on the back of her cape which also has her emblem which resembles a tiara.

For combat, she holds a riding crop which she uses as her wand… but Rocky, at first, mistook her using it for… something else.

Rocky snapped out of his thoughts and instantly recognized who she is.

"_No way! That's Glynda Goodwitch! A high ranked professor of Beacon and personal assistant to Headmaster Ozpin!" _Rocky thought, taking a good look at Glynda Goodwitch and seeing her in person for the first time, only hearing about her on paper and seeing images of that are about Beacon… and she is quite gorgeous looking, especially her glasses and impressive hourglass figure. _"And… wow. Such beauty and grace…" _He also thought but quickly snaps out of his stupor and takes the situation seriously again.

Gylnda was busily minding her own business, in downtown Vale, doing an errand for Ozpin in preparation for the opening of Beacon and opening exam to welcome students. That is, she heard the commotion and explosions, alerting her to investigate stat and now she finds these two teenagers fighting off against Roman and now she has to deal with this directly.

"Hmph." Glynda scoffs at Roman, easily recognizing him and knowing who he is, and adjusts her glasses, before getting into battle.

She swings her riding crop, which she uses as a wand, and launches a volley of purple energy that streak towards the Bullhead and bombards it many times over. Roman stumbled around, again, and heads to the cockpit where the pilot is trying her best to keep the aircraft steady. But since she's now seen, she doesn't look like an ordinary pilot but her face remains unseen.

"We got a huntress!" Roman informed the mysterious woman who gets out of her seat and deals with Glynda, letting Roman pilot the Bullhead.

Glynda, however, wasn't finished and shot another purple streak just above the Bullhead which created a storm cloud. She gestured and swung her riding crop downwards which caused the storm cloud to unleash a hail of large Ice shards that easily pierce through the Bullhead's thick metal hull. One shard went through the visor and almost impaled Roman who barely leaned out of the way which the shard impaled the seat he was sitting in.

During the whole thing, Rocky and the silver eyed girl were in awe by Glynda showing her power and she's able to stagger such a large aircraft with ease and using the Dust she wields to great effect. But it was short lived when Rocky heard what sounded like clinking glass.

The first thing he saw are a pair of slender legs that are wearing a pair of high heel shoes that are made of glass. He looked a bit upwards and sees the figure is a woman that has to be in her early 20's and stands at 5'11", with a fair skin complexion and ashen-black hair..

She appears to be wearing a dark red, v-neck, mini dress that exposes her shoulders and has yellow accents across the sleeves and the chest of the dress. The right part of the dress has an opening slit that slightly exposes her right thigh and it also has a blue feathery-like accessory adorning it. Just above the knees, the dress ends with an upside-down triangular tail.

Her sleeves end in a triangle shape that wraps around her middle fingers and her fingernails are painted dark red a dark choker around her neck. She wears a black choker around her neck, black shorts under her dress, her right ear has a gold loop earring with a black gem dangling from it, and a jeweled anklet wrapped around her right leg that's just above her foot.

On the back of her dress is a baseball diamond shaped keyhole that shows a black tattoo on her back. Unlike Nigel or Gale's tattoos, this one is smaller which resembles two high heel shoes placed sole to sole which forms a heart shape on the inside.

Though, her face is hidden in the shadows as only her glowing amber eyes which one is covered by a bang of her black hair.

The woman glared at Glynda who glared back at her, both knowing this was just a warm up.

The mysterious woman got into her stance, as the yellow designs of her dress suddenly light up and radiate a glow, like burning embers.

"_Dust weaved into clothes?"_ Rocky thought, curious of the unique ingenuity of weaving dust into clothing.

Her hand also seemed to have caught fire and she waved her arms around, right before launching a fireball at Gylnda but the huntress makes a glyph which shields her from the fireball. Once it dissipated, the remains of the fireball scattered and splattered around Glynda in a liquid state.

The woman raised her hand which caused the liquid fire to heat up the ground, alerting Glynda to backflip just in time before a massive burst of fire erupted from below and tore up the roof, like a lava geyser. But Glynda wasn't finished and, with a few gestures of her crop, used her semblance called Telekinesis to gather the scattered and burnt pieces of the roof and formed them into a massive arrow. She spun it around until it was spinning like a drill and launched it ahead but the woman shot the arrow three times which scattered the arrow into fragments again but Glynda used her semblance again and reforms the arrow, albeit, a bit shorter and less material in use.

Roman saw this and did a daring manevar by forcing the Bullhead to lean to the side a bit that caused the launched material to harmlessly graze the top of the airship. But Glynda, yet again, isn't done and reforms the material but into three separate portions to make it harder for the woman to counter against.

"_Man. This feels like some kind of high tense action that you can find in an anime!" _Rocky thought.

The woman took notice of Glynda's attempt to throw her off and summons three glowing rings around her which then creates an omnidirectional burst of energy that disintegrates the arrows into tiny embers that disappear seconds after.

Rocky and the silver eyed girl opened fire with their respective weapons but the woman casually raised one of her hands and casually blocked them with her hand that's shielded by her aura but the constant bombardment of an advanced sniper rifle and two double barreled revolvers eventually forced her to use both of her hands but she still looked pretty casual doing it that she isn't breaking a sweat.

Rocky wanted to amp it up by adding some Dust to the mix….

**Ba-Bump…**

Rocky suddenly felt and heard a strange noise that momentarily stopped him in place. It sounded like a loud drumming tune… almost like a loud heartbeat.

To Rocky, it felt like it came from.. every direction and even felt like it came from inside him too. But that's not the only thing that Rocky is feeling… he also feels… a slight amount of dread for a momentary second. His breathing suddenly went faster and his pupils shrunk a little.

This made Glynda and the hooded girl take notice and wondered why Rocky suddenly stopped shooting but this gave the mysterious woman enough time to swipe her arm in a gesture and caused the ground beneath the two human girls and male faunus on the rooftop to glow right under their feet. Glynda had no choice but to use her semblance to shove both the girl and Rocky out of the way and she too jumped out of the way before the ground exploded in a large explosion of heat and flame.

That distraction was enough for the Bullhead to escape, while the mysterious woman watches on and the hull closes. The airship takes off and flies off into the distance.

Glynda stares at the Bullhead getting away with a rather serious frown which likely shows she's frustrated she could of caught and arrested Roman and possibly that Mysterious Woman to and find out who she is.

As for Rocky and the girl, they both got up on their feet but Rocky seems a bit dazed. The strange drumming sound and the sense of dread that affected Rocky has suddenly disappeared. He couldn't understand why or where that sudden noise and sense of dread has come from but it apparently stopped right

"You okay?" Asked the hooded girl who helped Rocky onto his feet. He rubbed his temples for a moment. Though, as much as she doesn't really like making friends, much to her annoyance from her sister who's constantly encouraging her to make some, she only helped him up because she's a nice girl… and also because Rocky has such badass weapons so that's another big reason.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, though." He answered with a genuine smile.

Than the two turned their attention to Glynda who stared back at them… who doesn't look very happy.

Rocky notices that and feels very nervous since that's one stern and serious she's giving off.

"You're a huntress…" She says calmly.

Rocky couldn't say a word because he notices the look in Glynda's eyes… the eyes that do not approve of what Rocky and the girl just did. In fact, another problem he is facing is that he's trying his best to stare at her face. For a split second, he looked down at her cleavage but instantly looked back at her face which was giving a stern glare.

He sweatdropped and nervously chuckled, silently hoping she didn't see what he was looking at for a split second, but the girl isn't getting the memo and is now up close to Glynda, with adorable eyes, and looking so happy.

"Can I have your autograph?!" She pleads excitedly, with glee in her eyes of meeting an awesome huntress.

Rocky wanted to facepalm how naive she sounded and not getting the memo that Glynda's expression is saying signing an autograph is the last thing on her mind. In fact, her expression also tells them both him and the girl are in big trouble…..

"And cue the transition of what shall happen next." Rocky lampshaded.

* * *

**Half an hour later. Some random building.**

As if on cue, Rocky and the red hooded girl are now seen in some dark room of a building, with a light over their heads, and sitting at a table next to each other. The girl looked down in shame while Rocky just sat in his seat with his arms crossed and his expression was how obvious it was he and the girl would get into trouble.

Glynda was walking around with an advanced tablet and scolding the two teens for what they have done tonight.

"I hope you two realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly." Glynda scolded, as she paced around the room and her high heels clicking across the floor. "You put yourselves and others in great danger."

"They started it!" The girl says, trying to give an excuse.

"Yeah!" Rocky agreed. "I mean, they were robbing a Dust shop and had the shop owner at gunpoint. We had to do something and we were the only ones around in hopes of stopping him!" He added further and trying to sound reasonable of doing the right thing of saving the Shopkeep.

Truthfully, Glynda heard Rocky's statements and sees his are more reasonable than the young girl's but she still remained stern since they still acted a bit recklessly.

"For what you have stated may be true, young man." Glynda responded to Rocky but still looked stoic. "That still doesn't excuse the fact you and the young lady's actions still put a lot of risk on everyone else and even yourselves. You should be thankful I managed to arrive on time and prevented something bad that could've happened to you."

_She does have a point,_ Rocky admitted, thinking about that mysterious woman who seemed pretty powerful and had a whole pool of moves and abilities that he hasn't seen before. She casually blocked their bullets with her bare hands and could've likely countered Rocky's more powerful Dust combination… and not to mention that sense of dread and drumming noise he suddenly heard had stopped him in place. Even now, he still didn't know who or what caused it or any sign of the source came from that caused him to feel scared.

But that's for another time as Rocky now hears Glynda talking again.

"If it were up to me, you two be sent home…"

Rocky nervously gupled, waiting to hear what Glynda is gonna say for their predicament… hoping it doesn't involve his secret past… despite that Glynda doesn't know it.

"...With a pat on the back." She answered, sounding like it's not a big deal.

The girl smiled and Rocky sighed in relief. "Well that doesn't sound that bad." He said out loud but instantly regretted saying that when he saw Glynda turned her head towards them with her eyes narrowed even more, like she heard what Rocky said, and her expression that says 'You think it's that easy?'

"And a slap on the wrist." She sternly added. Without warning, she swung her crop down on the table which sent out a loud cracking sound like that of a whip. The girl barely moved her arms that barely avoided the crop with a loud "EEK!" while Rocky also avoided it and looked completely surprised out of his wits with a loud "YIPE!"

"_Why do I suddenly feel like she may or may not be using that crop for…. Other things?" _Rocky thought but tried not to think any further as his face felt slightly warmer.

"But…." Glynda drones as if she doesn't like what she's about to say. "...there is someone here who would like to meet you."

"Girl scout cookies?" Rocky blurted out which made the hooded girl snicker and Glynda wanting to facepalm but kept her posture and her face that remained unamused.

"Not quite… but your guess is close enough." Said a male voice, that sounded amused to Rocky's question. Entering from the doorway is tall, well dressed, middle aged man who stands at 6'6", has a pale skin complexion, silver tousled hair, black eyebrows, and sharp facial features that give him a wise and patient expression.

He wears a green shirt and a dark green, buttoned vest under an unzipped black coat. He also wears black trouser shoes and long, dark green pants. On the cowl around his neck, he has a small cross-shaped, purple pin on it. He wears a pair of shaded glass spectacles with the end pieces near the spectacles being in a zigzag pattern.

In his right hand, he holds a plate of chocolate chip cookies. In his left hand, he holds his personal white mug with the Beacon Academy emblem on it which also holds his hot cocoa.

It's none other than Professor Ozpin; the famous Headmaster of Beacon.

Rocky was actually surprised seeing Ozpin, of all people, to show up and meet him, along with the girl, at a time like this. He thought was back at the academy and in his office… but nope, here is, in the flesh, and with a plate of chocolate cookies. Apparently, based on the girl's expression, she seems to know him too.

"Ruby Rose…." Ozpin calmly says and approaches the two teens. He leans a bit closer to Ruby and examines her. Though, he does show interest about Rocky as well but he's mainly focused on Ruby.

"You….. have silver eyes." He calmly noted, as if he's deeply curious and interested about her eyes.

That made Rocky raised an eyebrow. In fact, he did take notice that she does in fact have silver eyes.

"_Silver eyes… Silver eyes….. Why does that ring a bell to me….?"_ Rocky thought. Normally, he has seen a whole variety of eye colors but he has never seen silver eyes before… though, his trainer has once told him that he claims to have met people with silver eyes and they are said to have "mystical" powers that can easily kill any Grimm with a glare. Though, Rocky wasn't sure if the "mystical" part is even true. Rocky just shrugged his shoulders and continued to listen, but he'll keep that in mind if he feels like bringing it up again another time.

"U-Um…." Ruby tried to say something, while sounding confused. Rocky noticed that made him feel like she may not understand what Ozpin is saying about her eyes… interesting.

Than he turns his head towards Rocky.

"And you, young man, must be Rocky Rhode Runner. Are you, in fact, one of the assigned students that will be attending Beacon Academy this year?"

Right, he knew their names because Glynda asked Rocky and Ruby to show her their ID cards to confirm their identity and now everything's okay which she informed to Ozpin. Not to mention Ruby couldn't help but snicker how that name sounded like the animal of the faunus he is but Rocky ignored it and responded to Ozpin.

"Yes, sir." Rocky answered, showing his greatest amount of respect to the headmaster. When it comes to headmasters, Rocky does his best to show his greatest respect to them. "I'm actually honored and looking forward to attending your academy."

"That is quite an honor, indeed." He said in gratitude but now focuses on a new subject.

"So. Where did you two learn to do this?" Ozpin said, changing the subject and gesturing to the tablet that Glynda is holding which shows the footage of Ruby and Rocky in action, kicking henchman ass and looking so good doing it. Though, to Rocky, couldn't help but notice the footage looks too good and up close… like the angles you could only see in a movie or some kind of action anime.

"_Huh… the angles and close up of the footage looks way too good to be convenient." _He thought.

Though, Ruby seemed a bit hesitant until she answered in an awkward tone. "S-Signal Academy." She nervously grinned.

"I really don't like sharing much but let's just say I've been taking some personal lessons from several people I met and temporarily stayed with until I move on and eventually trained the rest by myself to perfect my skills." Rocky said, while keeping a straight face. He's right on being trained but he, in reality, was only trained by one person until an incident made left him on his own to train the rest by himself.

Ozpin nodded. He deeply respects people and their boundaries of not feeling comfortable wanting to share too much about themselves and let's that slide.

He turns his attention back to Ruby. "They taught you, Ruby, to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" Ozpin informed, referring to her scythe.

"_Speaking of that… that is one big scythe and I admit she's able to wield that with some impressive skill and ease. Way better than any other scythe wielder that I've seen in my life… so far." _Rocky thought again, feeling impressed with Ruby's skills with that scythe-sniper rifle hybrid of a weapon.

"Well, one teacher in particular." Ruby answered.

"I see…." Ozpin noted, as he puts down the plate of cookies he has in front of both Rocky and Ruby.

"Oooo! Chocolate Chip!" Rocky says as he reached out and grabbed one. He took a bite and savored the taste. The rich chocolate chips that cover the cookies that he can taste across his tongue. Such a fine art of baked delectables.

However, much to his shock, Rocky suddenly saw Ruby stuff a whole cookie in her mouth, followed by stuffing her face with several more in rapid succession.

"_Holy cow!" _Rocky thought in shock. _"Just where is she putting all that?! And she's gonna be eating them all!" _He reached out and snatched a few more for himself before the plate was completely empty.

Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle in amusement while Glynda was less than amused by remained silent.

"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." Ozpin says as he looks away and tries to remember something. "A dusty, old crow."

"Mmmm! Thash muh unkul!" Ruby mumbled with her mouth full which made Ozpin raises an eyebrow.

"Uh… might not wanna talk with your mouth full, before saying something." Rocky advised. As much as a goofball he is at times, even he has standards when it comes to manners… most of the time.

Ruby saw realized that and instantly swallowed her food, wiped her mouth. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal!" She says while Ozpin took a sip of his hot cocoa. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like-"

She than did some martial arts poses and noises which were hilarious and amused Rocky even more.

Though, Rocky couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at hearing the word Qrow… he sworn he heard that name before from his trainer….

"So I've noticed." Ozpin pointed out, while putting his mug down. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

Despite that Rocky likely knows why, he's interested in hearing her reason, since he saw how she reacted to his weapons like some crazy fangirl so he would like to hear it.

"Well… I want to be a huntress." Ruby said, saying it clearly like she's being really honest.

"You want to slay monsters?" Ozpin also said, asking if that's what Ruby meant.

"Along with saving citizens, stopping the bad guys, and even doing some other kinds of important and secret missions. Just to name a few." Rocky added by counting his fingers.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, even to Rocky's added info about being a huntsman. "I only have two years of training left at Signal. And then I'm going to apply to Beacon."

However, she doesn't stop there and starts saying more about why she wanted to become a Huntress.

"You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people."

"This is the part where she starts rambling on more than necessary.." Rocky whispered and pulls out a small bucket of popcorn and starts chowing down. Feeling a little entertained of Ruby suddenly speeding up her dialogue and getting worked up.

"My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!' I mean the police are alight but huntsman and huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting, cool, and really, GOSH, YOU KNOW!" She blurted out in excitement and stared at everyone with a big crazy smile on her face.

"Boy, that escalated quickly." Rocky said out loud.

Glynda and Ozpin didn't bat an eye, as they stared at her for one more second until they turned towards Rocky.

"And for what reason do you wish to attend to my academy, Mr. Runner?" the headmaster asked the faunus.

Now this is where Rocky got slightly tense, trying to keep a poker face and quickly thinking of a reason that he already knows why.

"Well, let's just say I came all the way from Mistral and mostly lived on my own from there. After so many adventures and stuff I have been through, I decided to come to Vale and become a huntsman so I can find something new to my life. Though, I'm honestly not sure where to go from there but I'm just riding along and see what I may encounter in the academy and being a huntsman may do for me." Rocky said, reasonably. Though, he was only saying half of the truths and kept out the parts he doesn't want to really share and keep to himself. He's just not ready to reveal the complete story about himself.

"Fair enough." Ozpin said and nodded to Rocky, respecting his decisions. Besides, he's especially a man with open arms who's willing to invite every kind of individuals of different backgrounds, titles, origins, and especially purpose and dreams, to attend his academy.

"Anyways. Do you two know who I really am?" The headmaster of Beacon asked. Though, it sounded like he was testing them but he especially figures they know who he is.

Ruby calmed down and gave him the answer. "You're Professor Ozpin."

"AKA the Headmaster of Beacon and one of a kind of headmaster in Vale like no other." Rocky added, now feeling like part of the conversation.

"Hello." Ozpin greeted with a smile.

"Nice to meet you." Both Ruby and Rocky greeted back, at the same time.

"You both want to come to my school?"

This surprised everyone in the room of what he just said about inviting a 15 year old girl, who needs only two years in Signal Academy

"More than anything." Ruby said, sounding so eager and desperate of getting that chance to attend Beacon.

"Oh, so we got somebody who might be getting a special pass to attend one of the best academies in Remnant." Rocky chimed and looked interested. Despite just meeting Ruby not too long ago, he's starting to like her enthusiasm.

Ozpin turns his head towards Glynda and sees if she approves of this. She rolls her eyes and looks away with a rather dull "hmph."

"Well okay." Ozpin simply said. Finally giving Ruby the chance to attend his academy. Ruby's grin slowly widened even more. She cannot believe what she just heard… Ozpin has accepted her into Beacon, even if she's two years behind!

"Well, seems you get a free pass to skip Signal and attend Beacon." Rocky noted and raises his hand. "Welcome to the club."

Ruby smiles and gives Rocky a high five. "Yeah!"

Ozpin chuckles and watches the two teens, especially Ruby, having a good time.

"I believe our interview and interrogation here are done" Ozpin says as he stands back up and picks up his mug and the empty plate off the table. "You two are now dismissed. Since you are now officially part of Beacon, Miss Rose, Glynda will _gladly_ fill in the papers for that and inform both Signal and the rest of Beacon of your attendance," Ozpin smirks and glances at Glynda who narrowed her eyes at Ozpin for putting emphasis on that certain word he said. She remains silent and walks off with the tablet and starts using it to sign Ruby Rose up for Beacon.

"Also, Miss Rose, I already contacted your father about what you were in. Your sister is on her way to pick you up so she should be here very soon." Ozpin also added. "But since I just sighed you up for Beacon, I'm afraid I didn't inform your father about you are coming to Beacon so I shall have to call him again and let him know."

"_Huh. Wonder who Ruby's sister may be." _Rocky thought as he watched Ozpin preparing to depart.

"I advise you two should head out and pack yourselves. Because, on the day after tomorrow, your training in Beacon will begin and the entrance exam will start from there" He said, as he turns around and walks towards the to the exit of the room but stops right before leaving and looks back at the two over his shoulder and smiles. "You should feel grateful I decided to add you to Beacon, Miss Rose. Use that opportunity wisely. It will not be a very easy path for you… but I have some personal beleif you can pull through and stand among your older peers as equals. Who knows… maybe you might even become a leader of your very own team."

Ruby smiles and looks very excited to be attending the academy she has dreamed of joining in. What's even more exciting is that she can now attend with her sister at the same school on the same year!

Ozpin than turns his head to Rocky. "Same goes to you, Mr. Runner. I do hope you figure out something for yourself when you become a huntsman."

"Yeah, thanks." Rocky said and smiles back.

"Well then. I'll see you tomorrow… and good luck attending my academy and hoping for the best you two. Have a good night." He said and leaves the room, leaving Ruby and Rocky who are now standing up and ready to leave.

A few minutes later, Rocky and Ruby exits the building and were about to go their separate ways to their respective places where they sleep. Ruby stands in place and waits for her sister while Rocky is gonna leave but decides to stay just a little longer to give Ruby some company.

"Well, congratulations on getting into Beacon, Ruby." Rocky said to Ruby who turned her head and cheerfully smiled back

"Thanks!" Ruby chimed and was barely trying to contain herself. "Oh this is gonna be so cool! I'm attending Beacon Academy that my older sister, Yang, is also attending, on the same year no less! Oh I can't wait to tell her when I get back home! She's gonna be so….. Oh." She calmly said in a dreaded tone of realization.

"What? Why you look so scared all of a sudden?" Rocky asked, taking notice of Ruby looking like she saw a ghost.

"It's my big sister…. She's gonna be a complete embarrassment in front of Beacon…." She says, now looking down and looking so deflated.

"What's wrong with that? You should be glad your sister would be proud of you. What does she do that makes her so embarrassing to you?" Rocky asked.

"Well… let's just say she's… a bit overprotective and especially has a huge sisterly affection towards me that it sometimes gets annoying." She pouted.

Rocky may have no siblings in his life so he can't relate with her to that but he can still somewhat understand this Yang is probably just looking out for Ruby as an older sister and deeply cares for her.

"Well, to try and make you feel a little better. While I haven't had any siblings in my experience so I can't relate with you on a personal level… but all I can say is that your sister is probably just looking out for you and that's just her way of expressing how much she loves you as your big sister."

Ruby couldn't help but genuinely smile at that point of advice that Rocky just shared her. For such a badass faunus with such awesome weapons and a rather humorous attitude, he sure knows how to be more genuine and honest in pointing out advice on a more emotional and personal level.

"Hehe… Thanks." She says rather awkwardly. Normally, she doesn't have a lot of other people, besides her sister, her dad, and especially her uncle, as her friend but Rocky seems like a good acquaintance… but she's way more interested in his weapons.

"No prob. Just giving out some advice and that's all I was doing." Rocky said.

The two stood in silence… rather awkwardly as Ruby doesn't know how to properly converse with other people that doesn't involve weapons or family….

Seconds later, a loud rumbling sound was heard in the distance which caught their attention but Ruby already knew what that sound means. In the distance, they see a bright light that was getting closer and the noise was getting louder.

Soon, it came into view and it was a motorcycle which looks more like a sports bike with a very aerodynamic design that gives it great speed. It's color scheme is yellow mixed with bits of orange that blend and mix well with the yellow color scheme.

But the one who is driving it reveals to be a blonde teen girl who is wearing yellow goggles and a yellow helmet with a black symbol on it that looks like a burning heart.

The girl on her bike screeches to a halt, parks her motorcycle in place, and dismounts, while removing her helmet which made the rest of her blonde hair flow out like a wave of golden silk. As she dismounts her bike, Rocky got a good look at her while Ruby was smiling.

The blonde girl, at the age of 17, stood around 5'8", and looked pretty tough for a girl of such beauty. She has lilac colored eyes and long, wavy, and golden blonde hair that reached all the way to her back and a cowlick on the top of her head.

She wears a tan jacket that exposes her midriff, with golden brown piping and short, puffy sleeves with black cuffs that also feature two gold buttons. Underneath the jacket, she wears a yellow tube top that wraps around and covers her rather large and well endowed chest which shows a lot of cleavage, along with her emblem on the left side which is visible. She wears a brown belt that's covered by a pleated brown piece of material that reaches from hip to hip at the back of the waist. Her emblem is located on the right pleat and colored in gold. Underneath that is a pair of black mini shorts and an asymmetrical piece of white material that reaches to her knee.

For footwear, she wears a pair, knee high boots, orange over-the-knee socks, and a gray bandana that's wrapped around her left knee. She also wears an orange infinity scarf around her neck and a pair of fingerless gloves.

Lastly, she appears to be wearing something on her wrists which look like some kind of yellow bracelets but they look very advanced.

The blonde steps off her bike and looks at Ruby. She gives off a worried and relieved expression and runs over to her.

"Ruby!" She called out to her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby also called back, obviously happy to see her sister, now revealed to be Yang. Both sisters run up to each other… and Yang gives Ruby a bearhug that Ruby instantly dreaded that her sister would do and is now struggling to breath.

"Oh, I was so worried for you, Sis!" Yang said in a worried tone. "You have no idea how me and Dad were like when we heard about what happened tonight and you were involved in it! But I'm so glad you're okay!" She said as she squeezed even harder.

"Yang… can't…. breath…." Ruby groaned and felt like she was gonna snap like a twig.

Rocky couldn't help but chuckle how sweet and amusing that was.

Yang eventually stopped and looked at Ruby.. than grabbed and inspected her face to see if she was hurt or anything. Though, she was just teasing her sister and was just being a little playful… and sometimes went a little too far.

"Are you hurt, Ruby? Did you suffer a bruise? Did you bump your head? Did you trip and fall while scraping your knee? Should I get you a bandaid or kiss it for you? Should I call dad and-?" She until Ruby had enough.

"YANG! KNOCK IT OFF!" Ruby shouted and felt so embarrassed, especially in front of Rocky who barely held himself back from bursting into laughter. He was also holding yet another bucket of popcorn and see how this will go.

Yang lets go and Ruby pouts at her sister with puffy cheeks and a serious glare.

"And for the record, Yang, I am able to take care of myself! I'm not a baby anymore so at least treat me like an actual sister at my age! How many times do I have to tell you that?!" She said in an annoyed tone. Yang couldn't help but chuckle nervously as she may have gone overboard and got her sister riled up…. again.

"All right! All right!" Yang says and chuckles, with her hands up as if she's feeling guilty. "You got a point there, Sis, but old habits do die hard, though." She also said which made Ruby pouted even more.

"Besides. I managed to hold my own against those thugs!" Ruby said seriously but doesn't take it personal and knows Yang's just worries for her.

Yang stopped joking and looked sincerely at Ruby, as if she's taking her seriously now.

"Okay, Ruby. Look… I'm sorry for teasing you. You know how much I love you and, as your sister, I am just worried for you…." Yang calmly said.

Ruby calmed down and looked into her sister's eyes and sees that Yang is serious. Though, Ruby knows Yang has teased her lots of times before and it hasn't really gotten old so Ruby can't stay mad at Yang for long.

"Yeah… no worries Yang. I'm also glad to see you too." Ruby replied.

"Good. Dad is also really worried about you. You know how much he loves you and always hopes you are okay… if something bad happened to you…." Yang stopped there and stayed silent which made Ruby frown in slight sadness.

Rocky was hearing the whole thing… he couldn't help but frown as well. Sounds like to him these two sisters really mean a lot to each other and especially to their dad… but no mention about their mother though….. he wonders why... unless….

"I know, Yang… I know how much dad worries for you and me. But I'm okay now and that's all that matters. I can take care of myself and I know how to defend myself." Ruby added.

Yang smiles and the two sisters hug again.

Rocky couldn't help but admire how heartwarming this is between two siblings… it makes Rocky wonder what it's like to have a brother or a sister for once…. He even tried holding back a tear.. comically even.

The two stopped hugging as Yang was about to turn around and head to her bike. That is, she stopped and noticed Rocky in the background who caught her attention. Oh yeah, now she remembered. She him in the corner of her eye when she focused on Ruby when she arrived and now this guy catches her attention but she's unsure what to say about him

"Ruby. Who is this guy? Do you know him?" Yang asked Ruby as she narrowed her eyes at him, feeling suspicious.

Ruby instantly knew that Yang is going into big sister protective mode so she quickly spoke to calm her down. She knows Yang gets very protective of her when they are around other people they don't know…especially young teens that take an interest in Ruby in some ways.

"Yang, hold on. Before you get the wrong idea, he has in fact helped me and fought alongside me against the robbers." Ruby reasoned with Yang who actually looked at Ruby and listened to her.

"Is it true?" Yang asked towards Rocky. Clearly asking him the question. Rocky easily understood Yang was just being cautious and protective of Ruby, especially that she doesn't know Rocky and they just met at this instant already.

Yang looked at his face but his face didn't show deceit or anything of the sort. All she saw was face that was being sincere and truthful.

Rocky stepped forward but slowly, not to make Yang mistake him as some threat.

"What she's saying is true." Rocky said in honesty, walking forward but still giving a presence he means no harm and he just wants to greet Yang. "I have in fact fought alongside your sister against the criminal and his goons. Heck, she even admired my weapons like a kid in a candy store."

That's when Yang couldn't help but suddenly laugh when he mentioned the last part and Ruby couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"Yep! That's definitely sis alright!" She laughed.

"Yang!" Ruby pouted yet again but Yang calmed down and took this seriously.

"Alright. I believe you… uh…. what's your name?" She asked sheepishly.

"Oh where are my manners." Rocky blurted out and cleared his throat "Name's Rocky… Rocky Rhode Runner." He said but he quickly said something else before Yang got any funny ideas since she was grinning and wanting to say something funny. "Yes yes. My name makes it sound like "Roadrunner" and also because I'm a roadrunner faunus."

Yang still chuckled, starting to like this guy as he seems very friendly. She grabbed his hand with her right hand and shakes back.

"Well I'm Yang… Yang Xiao Long. Older sister of Ruby Rose and huntress in training of Beacon that I will attend tomorrow… and I also like to start things off with a _Yang." _She grinned at her favorite pun but Ruby groaned in annoyance of her sister making yet another pun in her hearing distance. Rocky actually laughed along since he considered that funny.

"Well, nice to meet you too." Rocky said. Since he is much closer to her, he notices she's quite good looking but that's not on his mind right now and focuses on the real situation.

"So… I heard you're in fact attending Beacon." Rocky says.

"That I am." Yang smirked. "And it's gonna be awesome! Though, too bad I have to go there myself and leave Ruby behind as she has two more years in Signal Academy. Man do I wish she could just skip the two years and just have her be in the same academy with me so we can right the Grimm on the same battlefield!"

Ruby wanted to actually tell Yang now… but she decided not to as it's already late at night and Yang was worried for Ruby's safety… Ruby decides it's best if her father tells Yang tomorrow morning, since Ozpin has likely already called and informed her father.

Rocky takes notice that and plays along with Ruby, pretending he doesn't know about Ruby is in fact joining Beacon and she will tell the news to her sister and father herself.

"Oh really" Rocky said and understanding what she means. "Bet that feels hard going alone to an academy… man, must be hard that there are times people have to move ahead and leave the ones you care about behind or the other way around." he says. However, he didn't realize he said it in a way that made Yang slowly frown and looked slightly depressed. Ruby took notice and looked a bit down too.

Rocky deeply realized he must of unintentionally said something to Yang that must've made her remember something she does not enjoy experiencing….

"I mean…. It's hard to deal with it, in fact, but that doesn't mean the people you care about are actually gone forever. They will still be by your side, even if you are on the other side of Remnant."

"Yeah… you're right on that." Yang says and looks a little better that she smiles a little. Rocky still slightly regrets saying what he thinks he didn't mean to say

"To make you feel better, whatever I must've said that may have made you remember something you didn't like… I apologize for how I said it." Rocky apologized but Yang smirks.

"It's no big deal." Yang replied. "Besides, it's not like you knew so you're good."

"Alright." Rocky said, now feeling a little better as Yang now says they're cool.

"Well, I think we should get going." Yang says as she begins to walk with Ruby towards Bumblebee.

"Yeah. It's getting late and I need some shut eye." Ruby agreed and follows her sister to the motorcycle.

Rocky nods and understands. "Oh I can understand that. It's best that we all catch some Zs and get ready for a _big day_ tomorrow." Rocky says and does a secret wink towards Ruby as she knows what he means by that.

Ruby and Yang hop onto Bumblebee, as Yang revs it up to life, ready to drive off home.

Rocky begins to head in a different direction but stops and looks back at Ruby and Yang

"Hey, Ruby!" Rocky shouted, catching Ruby's attention who turns around and looks back at Rocky.

"Yeah? What is it, Rocky?" She asked curiously, sitting on the motorcycle with Yang but the blonde stays put and lets Rocky have his word with Ruby.

"In case we don't see each other on the same airship by tomorrow, I just wanted to say something; I know we just met and don't really know each other and all… but it's an honor to coexist with you in the same Academy… and I especially hope we do get along well…." He added, though, he wasn't making a promise on the last part and it was up to faith to decide how.

As for Ruby, she had a similar thought. She wasn't really interested in being his friend, only interested in his weapons but she does deeply respect him. She didn't mind if he was her teammate or not either… as long as she got Yang as her teammat … and her precious weapon, Crescent Rose, by her side than that's good enough for her. Even if she isn't much of a social person who likes making new friends outside of her family, she still took Rocky's words deeply and smiled back.

"Okay." She simply answered. "And good luck to you too. So…. goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" Rocky answered.

"Also!" Yang wanted to butt in. "Since you fought alongside my sister, thanks for that!"

"No prob!" Rocky answered and gave a thumbs up.

The two sisters smiled at Rocky as Yang revved up her motorcycle, Bumblebee, and drives off into the distance.

Rocky smirks and starts walking back to his hotel that he's temporarily staying but he ain't gonna be there much longer since he's going to Beacon tomorrow.

* * *

**25 minutes later**

Rocky continues his pace to the motel which is further downtown Vale.

Despite that, so many thoughts and questions are swirling through Rocky's head, especially after on a night like this.

First is the encounter with Roman Torchwick and that mysterious woman that looked like Roman is co-working with. Sure, Roman has been the infamous and negarous criminal, known for stealing all kinds of Dust at the drop of a hat and being as elusive as he shows up at a shop with no warning makes him hard to catch… but that mysterious woman with the glowing clothes… something was different and strange about her.

He never saw her face because it was shrouded in the shadows in the Bullhead… but the way she easily blocked his and Ruby's bullets along with how she manipulated those strange powers of hers… was that her semblance? She even fought evenly with Glynda Goodwitch, a well known and seasoned huntress with a pretty powerful and formidable semblance to boot.

This may be a bit of a concern cause that woman looked like no ordinary woman and she especially looked pretty powerful and very dangerous…. Rocky is now concerned just what kind of ties does this woman have with Roman and what are their plans.

For now, they have escaped and no one knows where they are hiding. But Rocky can't help but feel this may not be the last time he may see them.

But that's not the only thing that's going on in his head. He's already curious about Ruby Rose.

While she does look like some kind of innocent 15 year old girl who apparently has an obsession with weapons, Rocky also noticed she has those silver eyes. In a world of many different individuals with different types of eyes in the color spectrum, silver seems to be very rare and she's the first person for Rocky to see that. Again, he was told by his mentor that Silver Eyes were said to be a myth. A race of warriors who used their special powers within their eyes to slay Grimm with a mere glare.

Now Rocky isn't sure if the myth is real or not but seeing Silver Eyes does interest him a little but Ruby doesn't seem to know about that since Ozpin mentioned her eyes and she looked confused. Best to just keep that in mind and not bring it up at the wrong time.

Though, the next thing that came to mind when Ozpin and Ruby talked about her uncle…. Rocky was curious when she said Qrow... He couldn't help but think he heard that word somewhere before. All he could remember was that his trainer once said to him, during his training, he claims he met this man named Qrow and he was a fierce and skilled huntsman who carried a sword that could also become a scythe… and there are even exaggerated rumors that he has some mysterious ability to turn into a bird… though, there are semblances that involve shapeshifting but only into humanoid versions of animals, never has there been a recorded semblance that fully turns you into an actual animal.

But that's another time to think about... because now he's thinking about what happened not too long ago; It's that one moment back in Kuchinashi

Despite two weeks have already passed… Rocky still can't forget his encounter with the Spiders and the Snake Eyes. He can understand the Spiders wanting his head for double crossing them for the money which is one thing… but the Snake Eyes demanding that necklace that he carries around his neck and keeps it well hidden without the ninja even seeing it was what caught him off guard and left him in such a state of shock.

But what shocked him even more was that the ninja somehow knowing and mentioning his former past…..

"_What are you even talking about?" Rocky asked, trying to sound like he doesn't have a necklace and is questioning what the ninja is trying to say to him._

"_Don't play coy with me, child." The ninja sneered. "You know what I'm talking about. You have a necklace with a green colored orb that isn't Dust that was given to you…. by the very man who used to trained you until you became a famous stunt performer that you no longer are… which you have retired since that very day in Atlas which was also your last performance._

_Rocky gasped and instinctively gripped the necklace that was wrapped around his neck and tried to look serious but he clinched the stinging pain of the wound."_

"_H-H-How do you know about this?!" Rocky demanded frantically._

"_That remains to be classified… now hand it over." The ninja reached out his hand and demanded the necklace but Rocky still refuses._

He can still hear it clearly, like he heard it from yesterday…. Rocky is still

"_Still… just how the heck did he know who I was and what I used to be….?" _Rocky thought to himself, still a bit paranoid but he remains composed and kept walking back to the motel.

Even after two weeks that day, the roadrunner faunus is still shaken by those words of that Snake Eyes ninja who, and likely a leader he follows and entire gang he works for, somehow knows about Rocky's past that he doesn't want anybody else to know….

It makes him feel paranoid and wonders who else might know about him and his past… No. He can't worry about that right now. Surely, during his moment of being cornered, he noticed how that ninja was willing to keep it all classified and secretive that not even Quickdraw apparently seems to know as he only wanted Rocky and was willing to leave the necklace for the ninja…. Guess the necklace is so important that the ninja never shared info about it. If Quickdraw knew, than he would've likely informed Malachite and she too would want that necklace as well.

That was a bit of relief for Rocky, since the Snake Eye are only in Anima and aren't willing to go to any other continent. So, for now, Rocky feels a bit safe.

But still, he's on alert as he was keeping his eyes and ears open. Vale may be a bit more peaceful and has far less poverty than Kuchinashi and parts of Haven…. he still has to keep his guard up, especially with recent reports of uprising White Fang activity.

Regardless, Rocky was having a fun night and was planning to head back to his rented hotel that he will check out by tomorrow, pack up his belongings, and head straight to Beacon to fulfill becoming a Huntsman…. Now, while Rocky still ain't sure what he's gonna do when he finishes in four years, he shouldn't worry because he'll think of something along the way… and he won't be doing it alone.

After walking for a few more minutes, Rocky started to notice something that was making him feel a little off in this part of Vale… very off.

The roadrunner faunus couldn't help but look around again… even looking over his shoulder and up into the sky… seeing the shattered moon still orbiting high above the night sky. The street lamps here were somewhat dimmer and not as bright as the other street lamps in other parts of Vale he was in. But most of all, there was not

Despite that it was a little windy earlier… the wind seemed to have stopped and now it's very quiet out here. When Rocky looked around, there's nobody else around, not even a stray cat or dog out here… not even a scurrying rat or the chirping of a cricket.

In fact, the area is so quiet… Rocky's heavy breathing was the only sound that was heard…. and it's deafening to him.

Rocky now tried to calm down by taking deep breaths

**Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump...**

There was that sound again…. the same sound that sounded like a heartbeat.

Rocky stopped in his tracks and is now wondering if that's just his imagination running wild… or there is in fact something… or _someone_ that's the source of this and it's not funny. He can't tell since he's sweating and it almost feels like he's hallucinating. This can't be right, he was feeling fine as rain minutes ago and now

**Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump...**

Rocky continued to keep his breathing at a calm rate but now he's feeling some kind of dread in the air that felt thick and even felt like it was slightly weighing him down.

He looked back over his shoulder once again and doesn't see anything or anyone there so he turns his head back forward….

**Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump...**

Rocky frantically looked around even more, now he was starting to sweat and his breathing rate was increasing, he was feeling a little scared… no, why is he feeling this scared all of a sudden? He's been through a lot lately but even feeling so full of dread shouldn't be that bad.

**Ba-Bump… Ba-bump… Ba-Bump… BA-BUMP…. BA-BUMP...**

He can't help but sense what feels like a presence is right behind him and he hesitates for a second of looking over his shoulder but he slowly does anyways. Once he looked over his shoulder… and there's nothing there.

Now it's even louder that he can even feel the sound vibrating around him. Now he deduces the presence is in front of him. He instantly turned his head around in an instant… but, again, there's nothing there.

And what surprised Rocky even more is that the beating sound has finally stopped and he can now hear the wind blowing again. Rocky's breathing has now slowed down and he stopped sweating. He even heard the barking of a nearby stray dog not too far away.

The roadrunner faunus raised an eyebrow to this sudden confusion but remains skeptical like he doesn't believe he's going crazy and that feeling of the presence felt too real.

Rocky stood in silence and ponders to himself.

"_Huh. I was told it's common in horror genres that, wherever and whenever you thought something was behind you, only to end up in front of you and right in your face, once you turn around." _Rocky was honestly expecting to see something or someone in front of him… but there's nothing there.

Rocky than resorted to using some of his aura to try and sense something... still nothing.

Rocky just shrugged his shoulders and walked forward. Though, he hasn't dropped his guard and stayed alert.

Once he started walking forward... him now there's someone… or something that's standing… no, floating mere centimeters off the ground, right behind him, about 50 feet away from him… silently and still as a statue… and staring at Rocky.

It looks humanoid in appearance but it isn't standing under the spotlights so it's hard to distinguish what it looks like but Rocky doesn't see it. If Rocky could see it by now, he would notice the humanoid being appears to be wearing a black cloak like suit and has wide, broad shoulders. It's inhumanly tall, around 8 to 9 feet in height. It also appears to have spiky hair on the sides of its head, is wearing a top hat that looks old and worn down… and unnaturally long fingers with unnaturally long fingernails that look like razor sharp claws poking out of it's long sleeves. But what's most unsettling are two tiny, glowing, balls of light that are it's pupils that were staring right at Rocky as he walked further away.

It didn't move or make a sound… it just eerily floated in place and watched Rocky move on whom is unaware the presence is now right behind him…. for real….

* * *

**10 minutes later.**

Rocky continued his trek towards the motel, now feeling much better and that sense of dread is now gone. Though, he wonders what the heck happened back there.

In fact, what is happening to him lately? First he nearly got chased all over Kuchinashi by ninjas, bandits, and his ex-rival now current friend, in which he nearly got killed more than once. Second, he encountered Roman Torchwick and some mysterious woman with such powerful and deadly abilities, he met a 15 year old girl who's now skipping 2 years just to attend Beacon Academy... and NOW he felt some dreadful feeling in the air that made him sweat and breath rapidly.

Just what is going on?

Is it just some coincidence that is just naturally happening?... Or maybe there's some cosmic force or being that's spinning the threads of fate and just messing with him? Well, if the latter one is true, whoever it is… it's not funny and Rocky would like to have a word with him/her if he ever finds that being.

"Yeesh. What have I ever done to my creator that puts me through so much?" He asked out loud.

As he kept walking, he turned a corner of a city block... but he notices something up ahead and in the middle of the street…. The silence didn't last long.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Rocky just heard a very loud sound that almost sounded like a scream of terror that startled him a bit.

"What the heck was that?" He said out loud. "Was that some kind of scream of terror… or a Banshee Grimm that just stepped on a rusted nail?" He wondered.

It came from the corner of the city block… and that is where he's about to turn towards since that is where the motel is at.

But whatever it is, Rocky can't stand there so he starts sprinting as fast as he could and quickly turns a corner to another city block.

He doesn't see anything at first… but he shortly notices something in the middle of the road.

Or… someone.

Rocky's expression slowly turned from caution to shock and surprise.

He quickly sprinted over to the person and got a good look at the person that was sprawled on the ground.. and didn't look good.

It's a man that's somewhere in his late 40's to early 50's. He has pale skin and snow white hair but he's mostly bald, having most of his hair on the sides of his head. He also has facial hair in the form of a fancy mustache and a pointy beard.

He wears a very fancy business styled suit that's snow white in color with light blue accents, a pair of dress pants with the same color as the suit, and a pair of black dress shoes. He also has a monocle he wears on his left eye but it has apparently fell off his face and lying next to him on a small chain.

Lying next to him is a briefcase which is open but also empty, implying the Dust filled vials he was selling were likely stolen. The briefcase has Schnee Dust emblem on it too.

The man was lying in a fetal position and was shivering like he was very cold… and Rocky also noticed the expression on his face…. looked absolutely terrified… like as if he saw a ghost and was scared out of his wits.

Turns out, this man is a salesman… a Schnee Dust Salesman who's out selling Dust for many potential customers around the more active parts of Vale at night. Though, Rocky wonders why he's out here, doing it alone, when there are many potential thieves, White Fang members, and even Roman still lurking about?

That is, Rocky looked to his right and saw two more figures not too far away. They look heavily armored and lying next to them were assault rifles. They must be the salesman's bodyguards

Rocky checked on the Salesman one more time and heads over to the bodyguards. One was laying on his back and the other was laying on her stomach. Both apparently didn't seem to be moving but Rocky got much closer and checked their pulses… he felt a heartbeat from each of them. Thank goodness.

He rolled the woman bodyguard onto her back but he noticed something.. there was blood and nasty claw marks raked across her armor that it's partially torn and whatever attacked her has managed to draw blood and left some bloody wounds. The male bodyguard too has nasty clawmarks raked across his armor and also drawn blood.

Rocky thought their injury has knocked them out but the wounds don't look fatal enough... what caused this?

That's when Rocky noticed and looked at their faces... their eyes were rolled back into their sockets and their mouths were hanging agape as if they are stuck in a permanent expression of screaming at the top of their lungs.

Just looking at their expressions disturbed them. They almost looked like they are dead but Rocky assures himself they're alive because they're breathing and has already checked their pulses are beating.

Rocky decided to help them a little but getting out some spare bandages that he carried around, in case he got injured

He turned his attention back to the salesman who was conscious but still shivering like a leaf. He even looked pale and sweating like crazy.

Rocky quickly heads back towards the salesman. He easily takes his hand out and touches his shoulder, making the salesman slightly jerk in fright but calmed down when he saw Rocky, yet, still shaking in slight fright.

"You okay, Mr..." Rocky asked the salesman, unsure how to take this but remained calmed. He looked and saw the name tag that says "Henry Abeln" which is his first and last name.

"Abeln. Mr. Albeln?" Rocky finally said, saying the salesman's name which seems to have calmed him down even more.

"Just.. what happened to you and your bodyguards? And what was that loud sound that sounded like a scream? Was that you?" Rocky asked, as he wanted to know what exactly happened.

Though, once Rocky asked the question, Henry started to shake yet again... his pupils shrank and looked even more scared than before.

"Y-Y-You're... in.. D-D-Danger..." Henry stuttered, barely trying to form words in his quivering mouth.

"Danger?" Rocky asked. Though, he isn't suspicious or considering the salesman's is crazy. Something must of happened here and based on the terrified looks on the body guards and those claw marks... could've it been some kind of Grimm that somehow snuck into Vale, ambushed them, and did something that scared them out of their wits... or something far worse?

"Y-Y-You must go... before _it_ gets you too..." He warned.

"It?" Rocky asked in confusion. "What? Some kind of Grimm?"

"No... Not a Grimm" Henry barely answered, as if he dreaded saying that answer and wished it wasn't a fact. "Something far worse than a Grimm..." He whispered in fear.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Rocky said, feeling a little confused. "Can you be more specific than that?"

Henry was about to open his mouth and say something... until the sound of the wind went silent again.

**Ba-Bump... **

There it was again... that sound like the rhythm of a beating heart.

Henry started to quiver as he was dreadfully familiar with it. However, Rocky looked more concerned towards him instead of the sound...

That's because Rocky doesn't hear it... but Henry can sure hear it, loud and clearly.

"Hey. Mr. Albeln? Are you okay?" Rocky asked, though, he can't but feel something must be very wrong but he doesn't know what it is... even if he takes a guess it could be that feeling he felt not too long ago, yet, he still doesn't sense it.

**Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump...**

The Salesman couldn't answer... because he can now see that... thing... standing right behind Rocky who doesn't even notice it.

The being was now floating about 20 feet away, and since it's much closer, despite much of it's face hidden by the darkness surronding it and partially covered by it's tattered top hat, Albeln can still now see it's deeply sunken eyes where he can also see it's pupils which are two, small, bright dots that are located in the center of it's eyes each.

It's overall appearance was giving it a very eerie and scary look... which was terrifying Albeln to his very core.

Paralyzed with fear, the salesman's skin begin to pale and his pupils shrank even more. He was trying to form a word out of his mouth... but he couldn't. He even tried to lift his finger and point at it to alert Rocky... but barely managed to point his index finger which Rocky noticed.

Rocky instantly turned his head... but he doesn't see anything there.

"What are you pointing at? I don't see anything." Rocky said. Though, Rocky may not see anything there, but he's no idiot and something must be up. It's also that there's nothing he can do to deal with this situation; How can you face something if you cannot see or even sense it?

Henry was flabbergasted of hearing what Rocky said, regardless that the salesman himself can see the being but not Rocky.

As if it's aware of Henry's failed attempt to alert Rocky, the being slowly started to grin.. which contorted and stretched out from ear to ear, which also revealed his sharp, needle-like teeth... and he slowly raised his arms which showed it's razor sharp claws poking out of it's long and tattered sleeves

**Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump...**

"Mr. Albeln!" Rocky shouted, trying to help the salesman calm down from looking like he could suffer a heart attack or something worse than that. "Whatever you're seeing or that's scaring you, it probably isn't real! It could just be a hallucination!" He shouted.

_"Though, for what I've felt not too long ago... and based on his statement and horrifying expression...I don't think it's a hallucination and something is definitely wrong." _Rocky worried in thought but there's nothing he has or know to deal with this kind of situation. He's thinking about carrying Henry away from the spot but that means he's leaving behind his body guards and the elderly salesman doesn't look to be in good condition to be carried by Rocky.

Henry tried to listen but seeing the humanoid thing floating there in place wasn't helping his case...

Henry instintively blinked for a split second... once he opened his eyes back up...

**BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!**

Much to poor Henry's absolute horror and surprise, the being is now mere inches behind Rocky and towers over him, as if it teleported in a split second. In fact, it was so tall that it was looking straight down at the two.. giving off that abominable grin and those bright pupils that are staring into Henry's soul.. while the beating sound was still heard at a deafening volume and the pressure was weighing him down. Rocky doesn't have a clue it's right behind him, even if he turned around.

The sudden surprise and up close horrifying detail of the being was too much for the poor Salesman to handle... as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Rocky saw the whole thing and his expression slowly changed to horror as he watched the salesman laid still and ceased breathing.

"Mr. Aldeln...?" Rocky slowly said and placed his fingers on the side of Henry's neck to check any pulse.

No pulse...

"Oh no..." Rocky whispered in growing sorrow, as he remained silent in the middle of the street and stares at the now apparently deceased Henry Aldeln... but Rocky suddenly felt something in him

No... there still may be a chance, as Rocky felt his heart scream out to him.

Do Not Let Him Die!

Rocky scrunched his face in determination and quickly had an idea. One that just might save Albeln's life.

He grabs the salesman's shirt and rips it open, not even wasting time of undoing the buttons, and exposes his bare chest. He reaches for his double barreled revolver and opens the cylinder. He pulls out one of the vials of Dust which is Electric Dust. He quickly opens the vial and pours the Dust all over his hands in which he starts focusing some of his aura into it and rubs his hands together.

As for the nightmarish being, who is watching the whole thing, it decided to now seize it's chance... ready to also terrify the bird faunus to an absolute paralyzed and horror struck mess.. but it's eyes suddenly flashed a purple hue for a split second which made it stop in place... it's creepy smile faded to a frown.

It also felt a droning and powerful force buzzing in it's skull... the being then reached it's clawed hand into one of its pockets of its tattered cloak and is now holding at least a dozen vials in it's large hand and claws. At first, they look like ordinary Dust inside the vials. But if one looked closer, they would notice the Dust inside the vials are glowing that it even gives off bits of luminescence in the dark... and the being's skin was getting irritated by the glow so it quickly puts the vials back in it's pocket.

It has what it needs and it needs to leave, regardless of wanting to amuse itself of scaring Rocky... but it has no other choice now as something triggered it to make it go.

It than disappeared like as if it blinked out of existence... but not before staring at Rocky with a creepy smirk one last time, as if it's not satisfied with it's fun.

Seconds later, Rocky's hands are now covered in tiny bolts of electricity which spark and snake across his palms.

"I hope this works…." Rocky muttered and places his hands on the Henry's chest and deeply focuses.

"Cear!" Rocky shouted and used the Electric Dust and his hands as a defibrillator. He sent jolts of electricity though his body, especially to his heart to jump start it. His body jolted and stiffened for a second but remains still and his heart isn't beating.

"Clear!" Rocky shouts again and shocks the man's body yet again but still no signs of life.

"Clear!" Rocky repeats but still no heartbeat. He scrunches his face and tries yet again.

"Clear!" Again but the salesman doesn't draw a single breath. Rocky is now starting to feel

Despite that it still doesn't seem to work, Rocky isn't giving up. "Come on you! Live! LIVE! DAMMIT!" Rocky shouted at the lifeless body of the Schnee Dust salesman. Despite his rather rough history in Atlas his rather minor disdain to the Schnee Dust Company being on that doesn't mean he will stand by and let some elderly man who's

He puts a little more charge into his hands and presses his hands a little harder to the salesman's chest.

"Clear!" He shouts and shocks the body yet again….Still nothing.

Rocky starts getting worried but isn't giving up.

"Don't you die on me!" Rocky shouted to the Schnee Dust Salesman, hoping he could hear him. "I may not be the biggest fan of the Schnee Dust Company but I'm not sure gonna sit around and watch someone die of a heart attack like that!"

Honestly, Rocky has had a rather _rocky_ history with Atlas and his bad experience there. Seeing the Schnee Dust Company's symbol badly reminds him of Atlas… and yet, this man is just doing his job and he's suffered a heart attack. Rocky will not stand idly by for seeing a man die like that, even if he's working for a company he does not really like. Heck, he's even willing to buy Dust from the same company because it's a necessity and it's one of the only common brands around and easy to buy.

He rubs his hands even more and uses every last ounce of the Dust into one final shock.

"CLEAR!" He shouted one last time and sends one last shock which even made the salesman's legs kick out.

That's it. That's all the Dust he used from that vial and he spent a decent small portion of his aura….

And the Salesman still isn't moving or breathing.

Rocky tried so hard… and it seems he couldn't save the salesman…. he looks down in shame and had his eyes shut tight... Rocky felt so down and felt so helpless of unable to save this man… but what caused this in the first place was possibly another thing he couldn't prevent because he couldn't see or sense it...

"GASP!"

Rocky was caught off guard as Henry suddenly jolted awake and let out a loud gasp for fresh air to fill his lungs. After breathing it all in, Henry than somehow shuts his eyes closed but he's alive and his breathing is heard again.

"I... It worked!" Rocky shouted in relief and checks his pulse... It's there... faint... but definitely a pulse and beating at a steady pace.

Rocky signed in relief and he managed to save a life. Though, as much as he was happy to save Henry's, Rocky still felt helpless of unable to prevent what just happened here,... and he still doesn't know who or what attacked the salesman and his bodyguards... heck, even if it connected all this to the presence he felt earlier, he still doesn't know who or what the presence looks like because he never saw it, which makes it harder to connect those dots.

But either way, Rocky needs to get Henry and his bodyguards to a hospital so he quickly gets out his scroll and calls the police.

While he's doing that, he stays on guard and keeps an eye out if the attacker, Grimm or whatever it is, is still around.

"Hello. Vale Police Department." Said a voice on the other side of the line.

"Uh, yeah, hi. We have a serious emergency here." Rocky said as he got to the point.

* * *

**20 minutes later**

The area is now surrounded with tons of police cars and even a firetruck and a few ambulances. Police officers have secured the area with yellow tape that prevents anyone from crossing in, while the detectives and other police officers investigate the area for any clues and evidence to what happened here.

Rocky was talking to one of the policemen who's a detective and was writing down on his notes that Rocky has informed him of everything he knows... which isn't a lot and that ends up making the investigation a lot longer and harder to figure out.

"That's all I know about this and it's the best I can give out." Rocky informed to the detective who nodded and wrote down as much as he could in his notes.

"Understood, kid." Said the detective as he wrapped it up with his notes and places it in his coat pocket. "Thanks for your cooperation and calling us in time of securing Henry and his bodyguards."

"Yeah. No problem." Rocky said as he watched they were gently put on their respective stretchers and carefully placed in the ambulances that will take them to the nearest hospital.

"You think they are gonna be okay?" Rocky asked. Hoping he has done enough to save Henry and also hoping he will be alright. Even being "dead" for a short amount of time and being brought back could still do damage to their health.

"Leave that to the doctors." The officer said, reassuringly. "I ain't no doctor myself so I shouldn't tell you that, even if I wanted to make my own assumptions and guesses."

"Alright." Rocky says and finally sees Henry and his two bodyguards are finally placed into the ambulances and start driving off to the nearest hospital.

_"Hope you get better..." _Rocky thought. Though, Rocky has a thing on his mind. Despite that this guy works for the Shcnee Dust Company, which is from Atlas and Rocky has a rather bad history with that kingdom... Rocky still did the right thing of saving that man's life. Besides... not all people from Atlas are bad and are against the faunus. Surely, there may be a few students coming to Beacon may also be from Atlas...

With the ambulances gone, the detective looks at Rocky and nods to him. "With that taken care of and giving me whatever you know, you're off the hook, kid. I suggest you get some sleep since you're gonna be attending the Academy tomorrow. With huntsman and huntresses like you, you'll give Vale and all of Remnant a better chance to handle these kinds of things."

"Sure thing." Rocky said and begins to walk away from the crime scene and heads to the motel, ready to go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow. Though, he keeps his guard up and especially keeps in mind of the presence that scared him... he bets it's still lurking around somewhere so he keeps his still stays alert.

But as he was walking away, on top of a nearby clock tower, which nobody sees... are two figures watch Rocky walk away. One is the nightmarish being that slowly tilts it's head to the side which momentarily twitches and spasms for a split second. Next to it is a shorter but more human like figure who who appears to be male due to the body structure being wide and broad. The being appears to be wearing what looks like normal clothing which consists of partially torn jeans, a pair of converse sneakers, and a hooded jacket which has the hood hanging and covering their head. Underneath the hood reveals to be a pair of dark purple eyes which glow faintly.

As much as they are curious about Rocky and his daring move to save that salesman, they came what they got and had enough for tonight. The two beings disappeared seconds after, the same way as if they blinked out of existence.

As Rocky kept walking, he couldn't help but grin a little.

_"Man... will this life be an interesting one."_ Rocky thought in his head, kinda getting use to so many thing happening that he doesn't even bother thinking about how more crazy it will get in the future.

* * *

**The next morning. On a transport airship heading to Beacon**

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me!" Cheered Yang who was now hugging Ruby, feeling so excited and happy when she just heard the news from her sister that she's attending Beacon with her. "This is the best day ever!"

Nearby, Rocky Roadrunner was watching the two sisters and looking amused of Ruby suffering another spine crushing bearhug from Yang yet again.

Taking place in a transport airship that is heading towards Beacon to drop off its passengers, Rocky and the two sisters are one of the passengers who will be heading to Beacon.

It was a coincidence Rocky ended up here and hopped aboard with the two sisters on the same airship. La

"Please… stop…" Ruby groaned in pain and embarrassment, through her gritted teeth, of Yang once again giving her too much sisterly love. Nearby, Rocky was snickering which caught Ruby's attention.

The red hooded girl turned towards Rocky and desperately tried to reach out to him.

"Rocky… please… save me….before I get my spine snapped in two….." She strained and felt like she was gonna pass out.

"No can do, Rubes." Rocky said, no giving Ruby a nickname. "It's best to let you handle it yourself with your sister."

Yang lets go of Ruby and backs up… but she's still showing her sisterly side and feeling so happy right now. "But I'm so proud of you!" She chimed.

"Really, Sis, it was nothing." Ruby said, trying to sound like it's not a big deal… except it is to Yang.

"What do you mean?" Yang said to Ruby like she wonders why Ruby ain't being proud of herself. "It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is gonna think you're the bee's knees!"

"Isn't the term "Bee's Knees" supposed to be some kind of alcoholic beverage?" Rocky pointed out but nobody responded to him.

Though, hearing that didn't help Ruby's case either way and sounded more embarrassed. "I don't want to be the "Bee's Knees", okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees!"

"Than by that logic, you wouldn't have any kind knees." Rocky said out loud, trying to sound funny. "That means you're gonna be llacking knees and you'll be having some stiff legs when trying to get around, especially up against the Grimm."

"You're not helping, Rocky!" Ruby scolded. "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."

"What's with you?" Yang questioned her sister who sounded a bit doubtful. "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited." Ruby answered but sounded serious. "I just... I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything." She sounded like her way of getting in wasn't well earned and feels like something special about her made her way in.. she wonders why Ozpin took great interest in her... was it her skills, her weapon... her silver eyes? She ignores that thought as Yang came up to her and wraps an arm around her Ruby's shoulder to comfort her.

"But you are special." Yang said gently said. Trying to show how much she cares for Ruby, no m

"She's got a point, Rubes." Rocky said to Ruby who caught her attention which made it easier to talk to her. "Like Ozpin said, take that oppurtunity and use wisely. Also, you shouldn't take yourself being special too seriously. It's not really healthy to think about it too much when you should just believe in yourself and especially be special in your very own way."

Ruby and even Yang were a bit surprised of Rocky sounding pretty wise, despite him being a bit of a goofball, based on Ruby's recent experience with him.

"And before you ask." Rocky said to the sisters. "I too had a similar experience where I was considered special to someone and I was treated with such praise and approval whom I used to be with." Rocky sighed as he remembered his trainer training him in acrobatics and extreme stunt moves because of his natural acrobatic talents and also a little bit of his semblance to boot...

Ruby and Yang stared at Rocky and wondered what his past must've been like but they can tell he's not into it... yet at least.

But Rocky's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the voice of a News Reporter that was coming from a holographic TV screen which was showing the news that is VNN or Vales News Network.

**"The robbery was led by the nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities.**

The screen now shows Roman in a mugshot photo that shows him holding his criminal identification and number that goes with it. He isn't wearing his hat and appears to be covered in a few bruises and band aids. He also gives off a smug sneer in his photo as if he's confident in himself. Rocky assumes Roman has been in jail before but has somehow escaped.

But nothing mentioned about the mysterious woman... odd. Guess there isn't enough visual evidence to identify her so she's left out.. at least until further investigation.

**"If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department."**

_"I think the cops may have a hard time trying to arrest him..."_ Rocky thought, considering he seems to have a powerful ally with him. _"Though, chances of arresting him are higher if a huntsman or huntress is helping the police." _

**"Back to you, Lisa." **Said the newscaster which shows the Anchorwoman whom is Lisa Lavender whom is a woman in her early 20's. She has yellow eyes and and whiteish-lavender hair that was cut into a bob.

**"Thank you, Cyril." **Lisa says but than got serious with some breaking news. **"We have some breaking news that needs to be informed." **Lisa says that catches everyone's attention.

**"It seems it has happened again, as last night's event was tragic and shocking as they have been for the past several months." **Lisa says that the news shows an image... of Henry Albeln and his body guards. The image shows Henry looking fine and dandy, including wearing his monocle and looking chipper... quite the opposite of Rocky seeing him in quite an emotional wreck and nearly died of a heart attack that Rocky barely saved him from certain death with quick thinking.

**"The Salesman of Vale's branch of the Schnee Dust Company, Henry Albeln, and his two bodyguards, Jackson and Jillian, were attacked last night, in the Commercial District of downtown Vale on 5202 Se 9th Avenue." **Lisa says which shocked everyone, especially Ruby and Yang... but Rocky didn't react too much as he knew this would come up on the news.

This isn't the first time something like this happened. This is basically the 4th time, in the past 6 months, it happened. And now this seems really serious that some passengers

Now the news footage shows last night showing Henry and his bodyguards being put on stretches and into the ambulances to take them to the hospital.

**"The salesman and his guards were found by a young witness, approximately around 10:27 P.M." **

Thankfully, Rocky managed to convince the news and the police to not mention him since he doesn't want the attention, especially after his major experience back in Kuchinashi.

**"According to his daily and nightly schedule, Henry was out in downtown Vale, doing his job at selling Dust to many potential customers, while his bodyguards were by his side and guarding him from any threat that lurks in Vale... and it seems they were ambushed and attacked." **

**"Jackson and Jillian were non-fatally wounded but also left mentally traumatized to the point they were paralyzed out of fear and shock." **"Lisa said in a tone that even made her sound like she was shocked but everyone instantly

That pretty much shocked everyone on board, and likely everyone else who is watching the news.

**"Henry suffered no physical injuries... but he is left in a coma, after suffering a near fatal heart attack. Thankfully, he's still alive and in serious medical care, thanks to a clever and daring rescue from the witness. Nobody knows how long Henry will be left in a coma until he wakes up but we should all be grateful he's alive and we all should hope he wakes up very soon."**

Hearing that made Rocky interally feel happy. He managed to save that man's life.

**"As for Jackson and Jillian, they are alive and well. Only suffering moderate wounds but also left with some serious psychological trauma that will likely need them to attend some serious mental therapy, when they physically recover."**

_"At least those two are okay... but wonder what will they provide based on what they saw...?" _Rocky wondered.

The image now shows Jackson and Jillian who are in fact twin siblings, who were attending the same duty in protecting Henry... But it seems something has attacked them, wounded them, and left them mentally traumatized

"Oh man..." Yang said and looked a bit down, feeling sorry for the salesman and his bodyguards. Ruby too was frowning... feeling this kind of injustice running rampant and now partly feeling becoming a huntress could make a difference.

Footage now shows the location where Rocky found Henry but the place is now under investigation with detectives trying to solve what has happened. Yellow tape and police cars surround the spot and preventing anyone else to come in while the detectives study any possible pieces of evidence

**"While Henry and his bodyguards are safe and under great care, the attacker that assaulted them is still left unclear; whenever if it was a thug, a White Fang member, of possibly even a Grimm. There are even questions if it's also connected to the previous incidents of similar traumatized victims of salesman and businessmen across Vale."** Lisa says that now shows an image of the several Grimm are on screen, including a Beowulf and some strange humanoid Grimm with a feminine body shape, bone armor that includes most of them being ribs that cover it's chest, and black tendrils that snake around it's head like hair... and it also has a very big and wide mouth with human like teeth but it seems to lack eyes.

**"Many reports and theories, such as the claw marks on Jackson and Jillian's armor, suggest it may have been a Beowulf, while the mental trauma of the victims may have been responsible from a Banshee. But further investigation and evidence is needed to find proof that if the Grimm really are responsible."**

Hearing what Lisa said has caused many of the passengers to whisper to each other and some looked a bit afraid. Even Ruby and Yang looked worried. While it's very rare for Grimm to ever come near the kingdom, especially that the kingdom is filled with positive emotions and high security. Though, enough negative emotions can still attract a few... and some Grimm can even end up lucky being able to sneak past security.

_"This is bad..."_ Rocky thought in his head._ "If this keeps up, Grimm or not, it's only a matter of time stuff like this would only cause paranoia and especially panic across Vale... and that would only attract more Grimm outside of the kingdom." _

**"Thankfully, the available huntsman and huntresses that are hired are now intending the investigation and are doing their best to track down the attacker, whenever it's a person or a Grimm. Further investigations will be notified."**

This has caused some bits of comfort and some of the passengers started to calm down a little.. but were still a little on edge. Even Ruby and Yang were a bit on their toes but Rocky spoke to them.

"Hey. Don't worry, guys." He assured them. "Their doing their part and we shall do ours."

With that out of the way, Lisa decides to show something else on the news. **"In other news, this Saturday's Faunus civil rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony."**

Now it shows an entire crowd of faunus in a civil rights protest... but it seems the White Fang ruined it all and yet again, as the now see the symbol of the White Fang which is basically a white background that has a red colored head of some kind of cat-like beast with three red claw marks as part of the symbol. Rocky frowned at the sight of that, as he instantly recognized that symbol. No doubt that is the White Fang since he's encountered them plenty in Anima when other gangs compete with them for resources and territory.

_"Is there no end to this divide between human and faunus... when the White Fang are crossing that line between them?" _Rocky thought. Much like Adam and Nigel, he too disproves of the White Fang and their actions that only makes things worse when the two races are in fact already trying to bring peace together which is mostly stable but if the White Fang keeps this up... who knows what will happen to that peace.

**"The once peaceful organization has now disrupted-" **But the TV screen was shut off and now replaced by a hologram that is Glynda Goodwitch.

**"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." **Said the hologram.

Everyone now focused on the hologram.

"Who's that?" Yang asked. Right, she wasn't there and only Ruby and Rocky knows her.

"The Good Witch of the South." Rocky blurted out.

**"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." **Said the hologram.

"Oh." Yang said, now knowing the name.

**"The many of you are among the privileged few who have received the honor being selected to attend this prestigious academy." **The hologram informed to the future students. **"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it's your duty to uphold it. **

Rocky couldn't help but chuckle at that statement. "Boy, that's quite a way to make us feel confident on this kind of responsibility... no pressure." He said that sounded confident but also had a very slight hint of sarcasm which made Ruby and Yang giggle there.

**"You've demonstrated the courage and dedication needed for such a task, and now it's our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."**

With her speech done, the hologram of Glynda disappears which now gave the attention of everyone towards the window of the airship.

"Wow!" Ruby said in awe as she and the other two teens that are with her look out the window.. and view the absolute beauty of the wide open view from a higher view on the airship.

From what Rocky can see, he's see a higher view of the entire city of Vale. Though, he couldn't help but also notice the vast mountains and fields further out.. which remind him of the mountains and valleys in certain parts of Anima Seems the only difference here is the architecture design in the cities.

"Look! You can see Signal from up here!" Ruby pointed out towards a certain part of Vale that shows Signal Academy where she used to train at.

"Guess home isn't too far after all." Ruby softly says, now remembering of Patch which is her home that's in fact an island not too far from Vale.

"Beacon is our home, now." Yang assures Ruby and lays her hand on her younger sister's shoulder.

"A home that would last 4 years, at the very least." Rocky pointed out.

However, their moment was interupted when they heard groaning and moaning. They turned their attention towards the souce... and sees some boy that's hunched over and looks like he's about to blow chunks.

The boy in question is a tall young man with fair skin complexion, dark-blue eyes, and a well toned body, along with blond hair that's short and messily layered across his head. He wears black hoodie that's short sleeved with detached sleeves that are reddish-orange in color. Over his hoodie, he wears a white chest plate that's diamond-shaped that's cut just above his lower abdomen, along with a pair of white spaulders set under them. He wears brown gloves that expose his fingertips which are covered in small metal plates. He has elbow guards on his elbows.

He wears a pair of blue jeans and black sneakers (with "Left" and "Right" written under his left and right soles respectively), along with two belts that crisscrossing across his waist which also holds a pair of small pouches. Lastly, strapped to his hip is what looks like a long sword that's already sheathed.

The boy looked like he was gonna throw up and moves past them, looking for the nearest trash can.

"Well.. I guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang said, referring to the blonde boy who doesn't feel so good.

"Better out than in, I always say." Rocky states, as he watches the motion sickness boy stumble by and trying to hold back whatever else he was about to puke back up.

"It was a nice moment when it lasted." Ruby said.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet." Yang said in a chipper tone, wondering who she herself will meet to be her teammate and friend.

"I just hope they're better than "Vomit Boy". Ruby said.

"Oh, so now you gave that guy a nickname before knowing his real name?" Rocky said with a raised eyebrow at Ruby. Before he could say anything any further...

"Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!" Ruby yelled as she noticed there was in fact pieces of vomit all over her shoe.

"And I don't need to take a guess where that came from." Rocky said as he turned his gaze at "Vomit Boy" for a split second.

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" Yang said in panic, as she was grossed out and tried to get the puke off her shoe by shaking and kicking her leg... which caused smaller chunks of vomit to fly everywhere.

"Hey watch it, Yang!" Rocky scolded at Yang. "You're getting the puke everywhere and some of it is getting in my hair!"

"Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby yelled frantically, also trying to avoid the flying puke from Yang's shoe.

"JANITOR!" Rocky yelled at the top of his lungs. "SOMEBODY GET THE JANITOR AND CLEAN UP ON AISLE 4!" He continued as the airship continues on it's way to Beacon.

Rocky Roadrunner, Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long. They're almost there.

* * *

**On another part of the airship.**

Meanwhile, on another part of the airship, taking place on the top deck where other passengers are out and enjoying the view outside, there stands two familiar people... faunus, who are near the edge and can see they are nearly to Beacon.

Right now, the airship is flying over the wide and vast river which ends at a massive cliffside where Beacon is at. There are docking bays where the ships will land and drop off the students. Though, one would also notice a port at the base of the cliffside where ships that travel on water are also dropping off students that traveled by boat.

Watching the view is none other than Adam Taurus and his close friend and teammate Blake Belladonna

"This is it... we have made it." Said Adam Taurus, as he stares out in the distance at the Academy, even with his mask on. He turned his attention back to Blake who was also staring out into the distance, still wearing how bow on her head to hide her cat ears.

"Yes." Blake agreed, also staring out to the Academy, feeling greatly determined that she and Adam can do this which will help them become better fighters and so they can find a way to make the world a better place. "Four years it will take for us to become full fledged huntsman which will help us do the right thing."

Adam Taurus and Blake Belladonna continue to stare out to the Academy as the airship continues it's course.

* * *

**Near the Port at Beacon Academy.**

Meanwhile, near the port, a nearby boat filled with passengers that are also becoming students of Beacon is almost there. On board, one of the passengers appears to be some kangaroo faunus... who was busily eating yet another dark chocolate bar.

It's none other than Nigel Arvo who is patiently waiting to arrive to the Port. He has been around Vale for a few weeks and he has already passed the exam with ease which makes him qualified and worthy to attend Beacon. Now he seeks his chance to become a Huntsman so he can earn rewards in money to pay for his family... and to also have higher chances to find those rare dark chocolate bars that are no longer made.

Nigel momentarily activates his semblance... and can detect a whole variety of emotions and aura around him; on the boat he's on, at the port, in the airships above him, and in the academy itself.

_"Heh... something tells me this Academy ain't gonna be so mundane."_ Nigel slightly grinned and takes another bite of his dark chocolate bar.

* * *

**On a different airship**

Ahead of the larger airship that Rocky and Adam are on, but far behind the boat that Nigel is boarding, there is a much smaller ship, called the Air Bus, that's also heading to Beacon. While it's far smaller than the larger airship and only holding far less passengers, it's smaller size and lighter frame helps it move much faster and it's more maneuverable. It has a maximum capacity of about 40 passengers but it's still a large number.

One of the passengers appears to be a familiar orange haired, slightly tanned, boy who is also apparently wearing a a familiar pair of slightly tattered hakama pants with brightly colored patterns and a pair of turquoise colored bracelets that resemble miniature jet engines on his arms.

It's Gale Hathi and he, like the other three, is also arriving to Beacon. However, it appears he's wearing another piece of attire which is a sleeveless gray tanktop. Since he spent most of his time int eh jungles of Sanus, he decided to fit in a little better by wearing a shirt. Though, he has the decision to take it off if he wants but since he's now in a more densely populated area, he doesn't really want to attract too much attention... especially towards the girls so it's best to try to fit in like everyone else. Besides, he can be shirtless when he's in training and doing missions with his future teammates that he will make with very soon.

_"This is it... I have finally made it to Beacon."_ Gale whispered, finally happy he has finally made it to Beacon, ready to take on Academy and become a strong huntsman and maybe even find true companions that will accept him for who and what he is.._ "Just you watch Grandpa... I'll find my true purpose and I will make you proud."_

It seems this year for Beacon Academy will be very interesting.

* * *

Hardcore music was heard as the scenery started off as a black screen but started to slowly pan over with red leaves from the Forever Fall were falling into view which than pans up to the shattered moon. The screen suddenly brightens and the screen turns white.

Four letters appear on screen which appear on screen in a flash of colorful lights.

**ANGR**

The scenery now changes to showing an open valley of Forever Fall, where the trees have their crimson red leaves. Standing on a cliffside and on the left side of the screen is Adam Taurus who is staring at the valley in silence with his back in view. The sun is rising over the horizon, signifying the crack of dawn. Standing nearby is Blake Belladonna who is busy reading a book. Though, if one would notice, there is something that slightly transparent in the background... that resembles Vlad Tradat's mask and his eyes which were angry looking.

The scenery flashes and now standing in place of Adam is Nigel Arvo, who is standing the middle left of the screen and standing on top of a massive rock spire that shows the vast and open rocky desert and even a canyon in the distance. Now the sun is high in the sky, whcih is now the middle of noon. Out in the far distance, Bardus can be seen. In Nigel's hand is a photo of his family and he's mostly starring at it than the vast desert exists in.

The scenery changes yet again, now showing Gale Hathi in the first right side of the screen, standing on top of a mountain that shows the vast valley and forest of the jungles of Sanus. The sun appears to be setting over the horizon which indicates it's dusk. Somewhere in the clouds, there is a transparent figure that resembles Gale's grandfather who is smiling and has his arms crossed.

The scenery changes one last time with Rocky Road Runner who is now standing on top of a mountain of his own and he can see Kuchinashi in the distance. However, it's night time with the moon in the sky and the city has many of it's lights on which Rocky can easily see in the distance. Another transparent figure is Gale's trainer who has his back turned and partially covered by the dark of the night so his face isn't seen. Yet, he turns over his shoulder and gives a dashing grin while also giving a thumbs up.

Now the scenery changes again with four panels and each panel shows Adam, Nigel, Gale, and Rocky from the front and their faces are seen. Adam and Nigel were giving off rather somber expressions but Nigel looks very stoic and Adam's mask covers his eyes which makes it hard what he's expressing besides his frown. Gale and Rocky were slightly smirking as if they are feeling more chipper and upbeat.

The scenery changes once more which now shows Beacon Academy. Standing among the crowd are many future students. There stands Blake who appears to be with Ruby, Yang, and a White haired girl with a pony tail and a scar across her left eye. Than there's "Vomit Boy" who appears to be standing with three other people that hint they may be his future teammates.

Up on the tower of Beacon is Ozpin and Glynda who stare out into the distance but right behind them are several adults whom are likely the staff but they are in silhouette forms. One of them appears to have spikey hair, wears a cape, and also appears to wield a large sword that momentarily shifted into a scythe before going back into sword form.

The four young men that's Adam, Nigel, Gale, and Rocky stand in the forefront of the crowd and stare at Beacon with curious expressions on their faces.

But the scenery scene shows an area that's dark and and covered in shadows with dark purple fire in the background. Standing among a crowd includes Roman Torchwick, but the rest of the crowd are covered in shadows but the mysterious woman has her yellow eyes and yellow patterns of her clothes glowing in the dark. However, out of the darkness comes a shadow that rises and enlarges itself. It takes it's form and resembles the nightmarish being in shadow form, with only it's mouth and teeth that are visible. It grins and bares it's claws. But hovering near the being are several more monstrous shadows that bear their nightmarish eyes, teeth, claws, and other monstrous appendages.

Standing in front of the being and the other nightmarish creatures is the more human like being that still has it's head hidden under the hooded cloak but it slowly raises it's head and reveals it's glowing purple eyes... as the camera zooms into the hood, past the eyes, and into the darkness which shows blackness again.

But it doesn't stop there as now dozens upon dozens of red eyes glow in the dark and many kinds of Grimm leap out of the darkness and charge towards their chosen prey... which happens to be ANGR.

All four boys are charge towards the mass of Grimm.

Adam draws his sword, Nigel draws his bladerangs, Gale activates his cyclone gauntlets, and Rocky draws and twirls his double barreled revolvers.

Adam starts slicing and cutting down several Grimm. Nigel throws his bladerangs which become flying buzz saws that also skewer they're way through the Grimm while Nigel starts punching and kicking several more Grimm. Gale enters his partial transformation while blasting projectiles of air at the Grimm while also throwing his enhanced punches and kicks that send the Grimm flying overhead or crashing into other Grimm nearby. Rocky was bouncing and moving like crazy, giving off a rather goofy expression, and shooting all kinds of Dust bullets in a variety of Dust which explode in a multitude of colors and elements.

However, bursting out of the ground in front of them was a massive Grimm that was humanoid in appearance but was bulging with muscle and covered in thick bone armor. It has a single large eye in the middle of it's fourhead and held a massive club made of stone. It lets out a bellowing roar at the four boys but they are not deterred and takes this as a challenge.

All four activate their semblance as Adam's hair glowed even brighter and got into his stance to draw his sword, Nigel's eyes glow even brighter in a violet shade, Gale goes full transformation and turns into his humanoid elephant form which lets out a trumpeting roar, and the cylinders of Rocky's revolvers were twirling like crazy because they are mixing every Dust they have into one crazy combination.

All four crouch and prepare to jump. But in Rocky's case, his legs contort and compress in a cartoony spring fashion. All four make a massive leap which leave behind a crater behind them and fly towards the giant Grimm which lets out another roar and sends it's giant club towards them in a downwards swing. The four boys and the Grimm clash which creates a giant explosion...

The scenery now shows the four boys out in an open field, their arms crossed, standing side by side with each other, and smiling towards the sky which shows some peaceful clouds which were slowly drifting in the sky.

Four letters appear which form together...

**ANGR**

The screen goes dark...

* * *

**And that's my first chapter of my fic.**

**Well, I've been doing a lot in trying to keep up and since Vol 7 is coming on Nov 2nd, I'm excited to see it soon. In the meantime, I shall continue the adventure of this fic.**

**Be ready for Chapter 2 where we settle to Beacon Academy.**


	6. School Grounds

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oumm**

**The OCs belong to me**

**Team ANGR**

**Chapter 2; School Grounds**

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

Many airships, Bullheads, and Air Busses are landing at the docking bays to drop off the passengers, at Beacon Academy.

Meanwhile, the boats, further down and at the base of the cliffs, are dropping off passengers but those students than needs to climb up the stairs that connect to the tunnels that are within the cliffside which lead to the top of the cliff.

At the docking bay, one of the boats has already parked itself and lets out it's passengers. One of them, stepping out, is Nigel Arvo, who walks onto the bay and looks up at all the stairs and tunnels of the cliffside that leads up to Beacon.

"Welp, seems I have another ways to go." Nigel remarked, as he takes another bite of his chocolate bar, before wrapping it up and saving the rest for later. He starts walking with the crowd of other teens and heads up the stairs and through the tunnels up to the top of the cliff.

* * *

Meanwhile, one of the Air Buses has already landed and released its own passengers onto the main avenue. One of it's departures stepped out and onto the cobblestone path is Gale Hathi.

He looked around in amazement but he was especially staring at the entire Academy right in front of him. It looked so amazing and beautiful and this is his first time seeing it for real.

As the young man stepped further into the Main Avenue, he looked down and saw the symbol of the academy as part of the cobblestone path… just like he saw in his dream.

Unlike his dream, which was dark and hard to make out, he can now see the academy in the middle of the day which he can see every piece of the academy; he sees the towering gray buildings, including the highest tower where Ozpin's office is at.

He sees the green and colorful pastures that surround the Academy, filled with many types of plants, shrubberies, and even all kinds of trees with some even having red leaves.

The main avenue also has those double ring colonnades, along with lots of archways, aqueduct-like features, and even those flag draped light poles. Heck, it even has artificial ponds filled with lily pads and that surround the Main Avenue!

"_So this truly is Beacon Academy…" _Gale thought to himself in awe and amazement to the beauty and defined layout of the whole school. _"... Just like in my dream back in the Sanus Jungles…. but far better than I could ever imagine…." _

The young man slowly takes a deep breath, and walks forward again. For now, he should go to the Amphitheater where all the students will gather there. But he feels like he should look around a bit and maybe befriend a few people who all look friendly.

* * *

Finally, a much larger airship lands near the port and drops off its own passengers. It doesn't land onto the port, it hovers right by the edge and lets off it's passengers with it's own ramp it makes which the students use to deport.

The first passenger to come out of the airship… is Vomit Boy…. and the first thing he does getting off the ship is running to the nearest trash can and pukes out whatever was left in his stomach. Guess this guy gets major motion sickness on these kinds of transportation.

Rocky, Ruby, and Yang step out of the airship and enter the Main Avenue, enjoying the spectacular view of their new home they will attend for four years. Rocky was on Ruby's left and Yang was on Ruby's right, with her in the middle.

"Wow…" Ruby and Yang said in complete awe towards Beacon.

"Wow indeed, ladies." Rocky agreed. He too was impressed with the beauty of Beacon but he's seen lots of beautiful cities back in Anima, especially Kuchinashi. "This is where our adventure shall begins…" He happily said… but then had his fingers crossed seconds.

"_Fingers crossed that nothing bad EVER HAPPENS through this entire four year semester." _He thought and hopes things would just go normally for him, everyone else, and the academy.

"The view from Vale's got nothing on this." Yang said, crossing her arms and looking impressed.

"Just wait until you go to places I've been at." Rocky turned towards Yang, referring to many places he's been to across Anima.

Though, Rocky and Yang heard the sound of Ruby squealing like a fangirl at the sight of so many random huntsman and huntresses in training walking by.. and welding all types of weapons that have caught Ruby's attention.

Much to Yang's confusion and Rocky's amusement, Ruby suddenly went "Chibi" mode yet again and her eyes were sparkling and hearts floating around her head.

"And here we see the Ruby Rose in her natural habitat; Like a moth to a flame, admiring and adoring the awesome weapons owned by their own creators." Rocky narrated as if he's doing a documentary about wildlife and that would be Ruby being the star of the show.

"Ooh! Sis! That kid's got a Collapsible Staff! That one has an Ice Mace! And she's got a Fire Sword!" Ruby said in an excited tone that she was even drifting off to find more weapons to fangirl over but Yang reaches out and grabs Ruby by her hood and reels her back in, in which she turned back into her default appearance offscreen.

"Ow ow…" Ruby exclaimed that sounded more like whining than actual pain.

"Easy there, little sister." Yang said to Ruby, trying to calm her down and not let her fangirl mode get the better of her. "They're just weapons."

Ruby turned her head towards Yang as if she's flabbergasted to hear what her older sister just told her. "Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! Built by our very hands and creativity of our minds! They're a part of us!"

Despite Ruby sounding like a fan girl, Yang and Rocky listened can actually agree to Ruby's statement about their own weapons being a part of themselves.

Yang can already remember a few years back when she built her Ember Celica, mostly by herself, with a little bit of help from her dad and little sister. She was proud and prideful with her weapons that she always keeps on her arms, even when they are deactivated and look like bracelets.

As for Rocky. He too has a decent knowledge for weaponry, with his experience and efforts in building his own.

His double barreled revolvers are part of his pride and joy. They are far more than just weapons he uses as self defense and to battle the Grimm; he made these weapons as part of his stunt performance in doing all kinds of fancy tricks; from shooting all kinds of targets at odd and impossible angles, to even mixing all kinds of creative combinations of Dust to make a variety of flashy effects to appease the adoring audience.

Such good times…..

"Oh they're just so cool!" Ruby squeed to all the weapons in front of her. This is gonna be an awesome academy she's gonna attend!

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon?" Yang asked to Ruby. "Aren't you happy with it?"

Ruby than suddenly unfolded her sniper-scythe hybrid of a weapon and cuddles it like it's her teddy bear.

"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose!" Ruby said, now revealing her weapon's name to be Crescent Rose which is actually a catchy name to Rocky. "I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people. But better."

"You had no idea what Ruby was like when she laid her eyes on my weapons that I had on display, during Roman's robbery." Rocky said as he twirled his double barreled revolvers from his hips and held them in his hands.

Like before, Ruby had sparkles in her eyes again seeing those.

Yang playfully scoffed and teased her sister by grabbing Ruby's hood and hung it over her head. "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own? Like Rocky here, who you seem to be getting along just fine with?" She gestured to Rocky.

It's true that Ruby and Rocky are kinda getting along fine like decent pals. As much as she's quite well acquainted with Rocky, Ruby doesn't really consider him a true friend… yet, at least. She considers she has Yang with her and that's what matters to her.

Rocky seems to like Ruby as a friend as well but he needs to know her more to consider her a true friend as well. With four years to spare, he, Ruby, Yang, and many others in this academy will come together as teams and comrades, ready to take on the evils that dare to shroud Remnant into darkness.

Ruby grabbed her hood and took it off so her hair and head are out in the open again. "But… why would I need friends, when I have you.. and maybe Rocky?"

Right behind Ruby's back, Rocky was comically glaring at her and giving her a rather goofy looking stink eye. He takes no offense to her because they still don't know each other but even that was a little rude but Rocky has heard worse insults in his life so he's willing to let that one fly… still, he does like Ruby as a friend if they hang out more but that will be decided in the entrance exam since he's more focused on finding a team before making perfect friends for himself.

But before Yang could answer to Ruby, they were interrupted by the sound of screams as if they belong to a bunch of crazy fans towards some celebrity… and that's what it seems like.

"OMG! Is it him?! Is that really him?!" Shouted an excited voice which caught the threes attention and turned their attention towards a crowd of other upcoming students that were rushing towards them… or, specifically, towards Rocky.

"Yes! It IS him!" Shouted another excited voice among a rather small but heavily crowded pair of teen girls, are also attending Beacon but apparently seem to be focused on something else…. They all look eager to see him that they are rushing up to him, even pushing past Yang and Ruby, much to the two sisters confusion.

The same goes for Rocky as he also wonders what's going on and why this small group of people are suddenly coming to him like a bunch of crazy fans… despite having no fan club that he can ever recall….

And he can't help but feel a slight hunch itching at the back of his head that he has likely done something that may have possibly made these people like him.

"Uh… not trying to sound rude or anything… but why are you people surrounding me and treating me like I'm some kind of celebrity?" He asked them.

They heard him loud and clear. One of them spoke up.

"Didn't you know?" Said one of the fans and pulls out her scroll that she shows it to Rocky… and he slowly looks on in surprise at what he sees. "You are a major hit online! You should already know that!"

The scroll shows Rocky doing his epic dance breakdown back at the Raving Dragon back in Kuchinashi. Ruby and Yang managed to squeeze through..

It seems the video of Rocky break dancing at the Raving Dragon has … made him popular to many raving fans online, especially those that go to raving clubs.

"For doing such sick, floor breaking, and physics defying dance moves that brought down the entire dance floor! The views were already in the millions and still rising!" Yelled another fan.

One would expect Rocky would be admiring all the attention like he did back at the Raving Dragon… but he isn't.

As much as Rocky loves the attention of entire crowds that adore him, especially as it reminds him of his glorified days as a stunt performer..… he does not like the kind of attention when it's up close… too close for his own comfort.

Unlike at the Raving Dragon, where most people kept their distance and were only cheering and taking photos of him, these fans are past his personal space and are also flashing their scrolls at him too close.

All of this happening is making him dreadfully remember some incidents; during his stunt days, crowds of people, on occasion, tried to swarm him just to take pictures of him…. and plenty of the ladies who adored him kept trying to pinch his delicate cheeks because he was so adorable looking during his younger days…. much to his annoyance and discomfort.

Thankfully, every time that happens, his trainer makes the crowd back off and give him the space he needs…. Unfortunately, for Rocky, his trainer ain't here…

"Uh… Rocky." Ruby asked out loud, not comprehending the situation right away. "What's going on and why are these people swarming you like you're some kind of celebrity?" She asked, slightly confused, despite witnessing his epic dance moves on that scroll the fan showed off.

"I don't know!" Rocky yelled, slowly backing away

But for Yang. She seems pretty curious of the club he was at and wondered if she could ever go to that place. "I don't know what's going on but those are some pretty sick and awesome dance moves he's doing and I wanna know what that club is called that he's been at!" She grinned, feeling like wanting to ask Rocky what club he was at.

Though, Yang just started to notice the "fans" are further swarming poor Rocky, while Ruby, who was more alert, was already concerned about what is happening.

And the "fans" are swarming him even more and flashing their scrolls at poor Rocky who starting to look extremely nervous… albeit not that he isn't feeling flattered to get this much attention but it still reminds him of his younger stunt days.

And now they are getting more rowdy and eager….

"Show us your moves again! I wanna see them in person!" Shouted a male fan.

"You are so awesome, Rocky!" Shouted a random fangirl

"Can I have your autograph, Runner?!" Screamed another fan.

It started to get a bit more awkward with questions that caught Rocky off guard… and he even started to shift his eyes around in a fast manner that

"Can you be my teammate?!"

"What's your favorite color?! Is it green?!

"Can we go on a date?!"

What kind of hair gel do you use for that mohawk?!

"Will you marry me?!" Shouted a random girl was in the back of the crowd.

"ALRIGHT! JUST WHAT IN THE FRAK IS GOING ON HERE?!" Rocky shouted in confusion and slight panic, starting to slowly go mad from the overwhelming crowd that is making him dread his younger days of being swarmed by fans who won't give him space. He wants to get out of the crowd and lose them in any way he can, even if he has to ditch Ruby and Yang but he'll likely see them at the Amphitheater later… IF he can.

Rocky starts using his semblance and managed to comically slip through the narrow gap of the crowd like he's trying to squeeze through several tight crevices.

He was doing it so swiftly and carefully, while the crowd was so tightly compact together, that they didn't take notice he was slipping through them with relative ease and eventually reached the end and slipped out with a comical "POP!" sound..

Ruby and Yang watched him try to tiptoe away in a cartoonish fashion that he was even making tip toe sounds… but one of his fans spotted him.

"There he is!" One of them shouted and pointed her finger at him. "GET HIM!"

"Oh Sweet Sugar Honey Iced Tea!" Rocky shouted out loud and began to make a run for it.

"Rocky! Where are you going?! What about us?!" Ruby shouted to Rocky, hoping he isn't abandoning them, despite his justified reason for doing so.

"Oh you don't need to worry about me!" Rocky shouted as he was running further away so he had to raise his voice, as the mob of crazy fans were now in pursuit. "I'm just gonna go exploring this academy so I know can get to know the place better and so I also don't get lost easily!" He casually shouts to them and starts running like his life depended on it. "See you guys at the Amphitheater!"

And with that, he and the mob that are apparently his fans chase after him not far behind.

Now it was just Ruby and Yang….

"Well… at least I still have you…. Yang?" Ruby turned to Yang but Ruby noticed her blonde sister looked a bit nervous, as if she had to disappoint her sister yet again because Ruby is so eager to be with her… since she was surrounded by a bunch of other teens who apparently seem to be her friends.

"Well…" Yang said as if she's trying to make a good explanation to Ruby but than suddenly darted away with the other students while talking at a fast pace.

"Actually, my friends are here now! Gotta go catch up! Kay, c'ya, bye!" Yang said as she zipped past Ruby so fast that Ruby spun in place and got dizzy, leaving her confused and wondering what just happened.

"Wait!" Ruby yelled out, still spinning in place. "Where are you going?!" She called out in confusion but Yang didn't answer, as she and the other teens were already darting ahead towards the Academy.

"Are we supposed to go to our dorms?" Ruby stopped spinning but was still dizzy and confused. "Where are our dorms? … Do we have dorms?"

Ruby couldn't handle everything happening at once; Rocky's sudden departure and being chased by his "fans", Yang ditching her with her "friends", and now she's dizzy and couldn't even think or see straight.

She couldn't take it anymore and just decides to fall over and let the sweet embrace of the ground. "I don't even know what I'm doing…."

She falls back, expecting to hit the cold and hard ground of the cobblestone pathway that she expects to embrace… but she ended up landing on something else that caused many white briefcases to get tossed in the air and scattered all over the place.

"What are you doing?!" Shouted a voice that sounded like it belonged to a snobbish and high class, uptight girl, who was looking down at Ruby.

* * *

Meanwhile, several dozens of yards further back, more students were still coming in from the airship. Amongst them is Adam and Blake, who recently got off the same ship that Rocky, Ruby, and Yang departed from.

It took them a little while to depart because they had to carefully get around a janitor that was busy mopping the floor which was covered in pieces of puke. The janitor was not happy and was slightly grumbling of being the one that had to clean up after someone that threw up on the ship.

Blake was grossed out for a second but quickly got over it, while Adam wasn't even phased by the smell or sight. They still wondered who threw up on the airship.

For now, the two are more focused on their own mission; Attending Beacon for four years and becoming official huntsmen so they can earn enough experience and skills to become effective enough to do the right thing for the world.

Blake is reading one of her favorite books, while Adam is just walking with his cat faunus friend and resting his right hand on his sheathed sword, just staying quiet and letting Blake left in her little world of reading books.

While Blake was reading, Adam was focusing on his surroundings but he was especially looking at the Academy. While he's prepared for this, he has something else on his mind that he feels a bit concerned about… is his mask.

The one thing Adam greatly worries about... is the possible risk of someone getting a glimpse of what's under his mask and he hopes nobody ever will, not even the staff… not even Ozpin….

There should be some chances he can keep his mask on at all times, by the rules of the dress code, without the need of taking it off and showing what he's hiding for the whole academy to see.

Though, he's gonna be with a team soon so that's gonna be tricky in how to deal with that…. Unless he has to….

ACHOOO!

**KABOOM!**

First, there was a sneeze, that was shortly followed by loud explosion not too far away which first started off a fireball, followed by crystals of ice, sparks of electricity, gusts of wind, and pieces of scattered stone.

The two faunus noticed two objects were flying towards him and Blake. They looked like two bottles of Dust, one red and the other blue, bounced across the ground that made clinked, until they rolled towards them. The red one rolled against Blake's shoe while the blue one rolled up to Adam and he stared at it for a second.

He reached his arm down and picked up the bottle. At the same time, without looking and only reading her book, Blake too reached down and grabbed the other bottle, since she felt it bumped into her foot. She stopped reading her book and inspected the item in her hand.

Both of them noticed each of the bottles they were holding in their hands had a very familiar symbol on it… one that looked like a unique kind of snowflake… a symbol that's definitely the Schnee Dust company.

Adam narrowed his eyes at that symbol… the same one he's seen too many times in his life that he'll never forget. Every time he stares at it… it still gives him unpleasant thoughts and memories he wants to completely forget.. but he knows he never will…..

"Unbelievable!" Shouted a female voice within the thick cloud of smoke and elements… and it sounds like belonged to some kind of high class princess…. and once the cloud has cleared, there stands Ruby in front of the person with that voice who does in fact look like some kind of a high class princess. Beneath the two is a

The girl that is antagonizing Ruby is around the age of 17 and stands around 5'2" (in her heels), and has a pale skin complexion. She has a pair of pale blue eyes and long white hair that's pulled back into a ponytail on the right side of her head, with an icicle-shaped tiara.

She's wearing a white strapless and thigh-length dress, while also being white that graduates to a pale blue at the hems, a snowflake shaped neckline, a white tulle skirt, and a matching colored bell shaped sleeve bolero

She has a white sash that holds a pouch, a silver chain necklace with an apple pendant, along a pair of rectangular silver earrings. She also wears a pair of white boots with wedged heels. On the back of her bolero is also the exact same symbol that's the Schnee Dust Company.

Strapped to her hip appears to be some kind of rapier but also appears to have some kind of revolver cylinder like device strapped in the hilt that's also attached to the pointy blade. The last thing noticeable trait she has is a scar that's located across her left eye.

This young girl here… is Weiss Schnee; The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company that she will one day run by her own decisions and authority. But for now, she's still the heiress who's still got a ways to go until she's ready to run the company.

Blake and Adam instantly recognized her, both by the symbol and her appearance, as they have seen her online and on magazine articles of her popularity of

But, what's so shocking and surprising, to Adam and Blake, was that they see the famous heiress, all the way from Atlas, being here, in Vale, of all places, let alone Beacon.

One would expect Weiss, due to her status and title as an heiress to her company, to be attending a more proper and advanced academy that's back in Atlas… but here she is… also attending Beacon, apparently, like all the other average students.

With all that in mind, Weiss was momentarily covered in soot but she shook it off herself and was clean as a whistle… but she's still angry at Ruby. It seems Ruby must've done something wrong that provoked her.

Weiss appears to be even more pissed off at Ruby. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" She yelled, despite her hypocrisy that she was the one that shook the bottle that made Ruby sneeze.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Ruby apologized, while tapping the tips of her fingers together like she is guilty but Weiss remains aggravated towards Ruby.

"Ugh!" Weiss groaned in annoyance, not accepting Ruby's apology. "You complete DOLT! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little _young _to be attending Beacon." She further scolded that now sounding like she was mocking the caped girl.

Behind his mask, Adam narrowed his eyes towards Weiss. As much as he has a rather bitter view and history towards the Schnee Dust Company, one of the few existing reasons for the White Fang to exist, he was expecting Weiss to at least act like a proper and mature young lady which would fit her as an heiress.

And yet, she's berating this red hooded girl, instead of trying to help her up and wonder if she's okay, especially after sneezing that crater and could've caused more Dust to explode which could have resulted in more property damage and something worse.

"Well… I-I…" Ruby tried to explain but was interrupted by Weiss again.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school." The heiress further lectured, sounding like she's above Ruby. "It's not just sparring and practice you know. We're here to fight monsters so watch where you're going!" She turned her head away from Ruby and looking so uptight doing it.

Again, Adam briefly felt aggravated towards Weiss' intolerance and arrogance. As for Blake, even she was starting to narrow her eyes and also feeling annoyed, just by hearing Weiss giving off her rant was starting to get on their nerves.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, Princess!" Ruby shot back, now feeling annoyed towards Weiss who's now starting to get on her nerves. She just apologized and didn't mean any of this to happen but now she's feeling a bit annoyed this girl is just being all uptight and snobbish to her.

"It's heiress, actually." Blake said, catching the attention of Weiss and Ruby. Blake and Adam approached them and stood in front of them. Blake remained calm while Adam also kept his stoic expression… but that's mostly thanks to his mask that was hiding much of eyes. In fact, behind that mask, he was staring right at Weiss and he was narrowing his eyes at her.

As much as they don't like Weiss at the moment, they kept their cool and talked casually.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellent in the world." Blake informed which revealed to Ruby this girl is Weiss Schnee. Ruby widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

She has heard of Weiss in the magazines but she doesn't pay much attention to that kind of stuff.

"Said company was founded by the brave and selfless Nicholas Schnee, Weiss' grandfather, who eventually passed the ownership to his son-in-law….. _Jacques Schnee_, Weiss' father." Adam said, adding more info about the Schnee Dust Company. But what Weiss and Ruby didn't notice was that he tightened his right fist and barely kept himself calm. Just even saying that name makes his blood boil.

Blake took notice and felt slightly concerned but kept her composure. This isn't the first time in her experience and she knows how Adam feels about the Schnee family.. but especially Jacques…..

"Finally, some recognition!" Weiss said as she was getting the praise and acknowledgement she deserved. She even turned her direction at Ruby when she said that but Ruby narrowed her eyes back in annoyance. This also did the same to Blake and Adam who have finally decided to knock her down a few pegs.

Blake will be the first to knock down the first few pegs.

"The same company infamous for it's controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." Blake said, not missing a beat in striking down the hammer of criticism on Weiss.

"What- How dare-! The nerve of-!" Weiss stuttered in frustration and shock of hearing what Blake just said to her. Even Ruby started to snicker at the princess of getting served.

That is…. Adam now has his turn in sharing his view on the Schnee Dust Company… and he isn't pulling any punches towards Weiss.

"Not to mention the mistreatment and unethical practices to their workers, _especially _tothe workers who are faunus but it's not unheard of the human workers who also suffer the same problems; minimum wages, unsafe working conditions, ineffective or lack of safety equipment, unstable dust mining that brings the risk of collapsing mines, and even the reports of possible abuse, physical and verbal, to the workers."

All of that was said by Adam without missing a beat. And what he has said caused an ever bigger reaction.

Blake didn't show much of a reaction since she knew Adam would say something like that but even she was a bit surprised how much Adam would add about the SDC. She still remembered what Adam showed her behind that mask that day and she feels his reasons were justified.

Ruby was a bit surprised and shocked by hearing this masked boy, since her eyes were even wider and she turned her attention towards Weiss again.

As for Weiss… she was completely flabbergasted by what she just heard from this blue haired and mask wearing bull faunus who had the guts to say all of that to her face.

She just couldn't believe it, even if she heard it loud and clear from him who casually stands there and has knocked down several more pegs than what Blake could've knocked down just a minute ago.

It made her furious that she was losing her composure and she was even starting to grit her teeth at the both of them, but especially towards Adam.

"Y-YOU- YOU DIDN'T JUST-! UGH!" She groaned and scoffed in complete frustration, as she swipes both of the Dust bottles, each out of Adam and Blake's hands, before storming off towards Beacon Academy. Not far behind, her two butlers gathered up the rest of the Dust filled briefcases and followed her.

Ruby watched her go but didn't know what to take from this. She could only think of one thing to say to her.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby called out to Weiss who didn't respond, not even looking over her shoulder to let Ruby know she heard her, while still walking on towards Beacon, still fuming having her pride partially cracked.

Ruby felt a little more guilty for all of this to happen in the span of less than four minutes and she may have possibly made a bitter classmate who may hold a grudge against her for who knows how long. Ruby sighs, feeling like this isn't gonna be an easy start.

"I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day." Ruby calmly said that made her sound down…. but there's that girl with the bow and the bull faunus with the mask. They might be friendly!

Ruby perked up a little, as she smiled, and turned around to greet the other two.

"So what's-?" Ruby said before she was unable to pronounce any more words from her mouth, once she turned to the other two's direction… only to find them not in the same spot as they were seconds ago… only to find Blake and Adam were walking away from Rub,. Almost like they didn't know Ruby existed and just went on their daily lives.

She was expecting they would stick around and maybe even introduce themselves… guess Yang was right she should at least make some new friends… which is easier said than done.

Ruby now feels hopeless and lonely again; Getting no support from anyone, despite that human girl and faunus boy defending her from Weiss Schnee. She slumps to her knees and than lets herself fall onto her back and stares up into the cloudy sky.

"Welcome to Beacon…" She mutters, trying to sound cheerful but feeling so down that it's moot as of now. She closes her eyes and just waits for something to happen, for better or worse.

Meanwhile, Blake and Adam were still walking in a different direction, obviously somewhere else than where they were at just a few seconds ago.

Both were more concerned about their own agenda but Adam couldn't help himself but look over his shoulder and look at the poor girl who seems to be lonely.

He stopped in his tracks and kept his sight on the girl.

Despite having only Blake to trust and being with her in every place they've been…. ever since they left Vlad and the White Fang behind, he knows there will be a time he's gonna have to make a team with two or three other people… so why not start with this girl as a potential teammate?

Besides, she looks lonely and may need a bit of company after the berating and being looked down on by Weiss Schnee. He and Blake did defend her so it would be a good idea to have her get her thanks to Adam and maybe Blake if they encounter each other again.

Adam continues to stare at the white haired girl, for several more seconds. Blake instantly noticed that Adam is not walking with her and is just standing a few feet away from her.

"Something wrong, Adam?" Blake asked, a bit confused and curious why Adam stopped.

To her knowledge, Adam rarely stops and gets his attention caught elsewhere, especially since he's either in deep thought or when he's focused on his missions that he's serious about.

He rarely catches as any breaks, unless they are eating, taking a short break, or when it's at night and they are getting their sleep. He's always focused on what they need to, never letting anything else distract him from his own focus. And yet, here he is, distracted by this young girl who seems lonely.

Adam remained silent but he turned his attention back to Blake and gave his answer.

"Blake… if you don't mind, I'm gonna stay behind and get to know that hooded girl. You can go on without me." He simply stated. Sounding like he knows what he is doing and trusting Blake she can go on without him.

Blake didn't need to guess what caught Adam's attention and already knows what he means, since he's focused on that girl. She doesn't mind their occasional splitting off diversions on different missions that they did back in the White Fang.

For the most part, she's fine with Adam going somewhere else by himself and she can handle things on her own. Besides, she knows they will be seeing each other again, either at the Amphitheater or somewhere where they will sleep for the night.

"Alright, Adam." Blake answered, with an assured look in her eyes that she trusts Adam and continues to walk forward to wherever she is going. "I'll be at the Library. If you need me, you know where to find me." She said, and walks off towards the library

"Don't get lost or I may have to find you…. again." Adam teased, despite knowing Blake can already get to places without getting lost. Blake couldn't help but slightly smirk, despite having her back turned and hearing that joke before.

"I won't." She replied, as she raised her hand like she's got it.

After Blake left, Adam turned his attention back to the red hooded girl laying on the cobblestone path. He couldn't help but feel slight pity towards her and feels like she at least deserves some attention and an acquaintance for the time being.

But there's more than just that; there's something special about her and he couldn't put his finger on it. She looks much younger than most other students but the possibility of her attending this academy must mean she's special in some way….

Just as he was approaching her, he sees another person walking to her; a blonde boy wearing a hoodie and some patches of armor on his body. Adam looked at him for a split second… and he couldn't help but sense and feel he doesn't look fitting to be in this Academy… but if he's here, than he's qualified and Adam has no further judgement on him. Though, to Adam's unawareness, it's Vomit Boy.

Ruby still laid there.. and felt two shadows looming over her face that blocked out the sun in her eyes. She opens her eyes … and finds the masked faunus boy has apparently come back but also finds Vomit Boy. Both had their hands out, letting her know they want to help her up.

"Hey. I'm Jaune." Said the young man. Now revealed his name to be Jaune.

"Adam Taurus." Adam also said in a stoic but assuring tone that he's trying to be a bit helpful. Deep down, despite his rather sour history with most humans, he knows not all humans are completely bad and there are plenty that are good and want to make better with everything.

"Ruby…" The young girl said, sounding a bit happy to at least have someone is around and she ain't completely alone. She accepts the hands and grabs each one. Both boys easily pull her up to her feet. She turned her attention to Adam.

"So you've came back, right after leaving me and without a warning?" Ruby asked ADam, raising an eyebrow towards him.

"I just came back because you looked really lonely. So I just decided why not?" He calmly stated.

This made Ruby slightly grin but she than thought of another thing.

"And what about that girl with the bow?" She asked, turning her attention to Blake who is now so far away she can barely be seen.

"She's fine." Adam answered. "She has her own things to deal with. We both agreed to meet each other later so no need to worry about her."

Ruby stared at Blake for another second but nodded to Adam and turned her focus at the other boy who's now named Jaune… she couldn't help but try to hold her back from laughing as she remembered him for one thing when she first saw him.

"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?" Ruby asked Jaune, feeling amused and still remembering that incident seeing Jaune vomit on that ship and causing such a ruckus.

Jaune sweatdropped in slight embarrassment and likely knows Ruby will likely never live it down for quite a while. His expression clearly says that it was him.

"Huh… so that explains the mess and the janitor, back on the airship." Adam also said, feeling a bit surprised he got his answer of what caused that mess of puke and the janitor being forced to clean it up.

* * *

**Near the edge of docking bay.**

Nigel has finally reached the top, after going through so many stairs and tunnels of the cliffside, as he steps onto the cobblestone path and gets a refreshing view of the academy in all of its glory.

Nigel was more than impressed with this academy, admiring the beauty in the architectural design of the place.

He can also sense so much enthusiasm and anticipation from the surrounding new students.

Around him, he can see all the different colors and intensity of everyone's auras that he senses through his semblance.

Not only that, he's also sensing what they are feeling for this place.

He can sense most of them are feeling happy, excited, and even proud they are here. Others are casual and normal with it, like it's no big deal. Even sensing some that are feeling extremely nervous and anxious being here, like they are afraid they may fail this academy and sent out of the school as complete failures.

The bladerang wielding faunus admired feeling all these varied pulses of emotions around him, especially since their auras are far more focused and potent than the others he felt in previous places he's been,like Bardus and Kuo Kuana.

Since he's been a lot on his own, either out in the deserts of Menagerie, or in small, hollow towns filled with people with little to no aura, he enjoys feeling these emotions, at least in places where it isn't hostile and can't let his guard down.

He also senses emotions to make it easier for him to figure out how to read people and what they feel, which can be useful in many ways and circumstances.

With all that thought out, Nigel decides to the Amphitheater and get over with it so he can go through the four years of training and then become an official huntsman.

It would be easier to get paid with the right amount of money doing certain jobs only licensed and legal Huntsman can do.

But when he walked further, he couldn't help but notice a crater in the middle of the path and it looked pretty deep.

"_Huh. Looks like something had happened here." _Nigel thought as he smelled the air and could smell the smoke that lingers in the air, The unique scent is definitely Dust, along with other unique scents that suggest other types of Dust too. That, along with the compressed crater, suggesting an explosion has happened.

"_But what exactly caused that explosion?" _The kangaroo faunus wondered. Though, he did recall, when he was still climbing the stairs and the tunnels, he swore he heard a faint sound that was akin to explosion, and now he connects that sound to the crater and scents of Dust.

That's when he used his semblance again and sensed the flaring auras of other students that surrounded him. This time, he saw three people not far away that were walking towards the school.

There was a girl in a red cape with a red aura and a masked boy faunus with a blue aura… but that blonde boy in the hoodie that's walking with them… doesn't appear to have any visible aura through the vision of his semblance…. but his semblance is telling

Just because he doesn't see or sense aura through his semblance, doesn't it's not there. Every living being has a soul which means they have an aura, It's just that those who haven't activated their aura means it lies dormant within them and doesn't make any pulse for Nigel's aura to sense.

This made Nigel raise an eyebrow towards this random teen who appears to have not awakened his aura

Normally, most students need to have a very strong pulse with their aura while also having good control over it…. maybe he has a semblance to hide his aura, like the other two he fought back in Bardus?

Despite that, Nigel was still able to detect his emotions, if barely.

What the faunus was able to sense… was mostly the boy feeling friendly and even pretty glad to talk to some people whom he's hanging out with.

However, underneath that friendly exterior and his focused emotions of being friendly. Nigel was also sensing bits of low self-esteem, doubt, and even regret. This made Nigel feel suspicious as to why this student that's attending Beacon to express such emotions ... unless… Nigel shakes his head, it's not his concern and considers that's the blonde's problem… but still…. Nigel should keep an eye on him and observe him more if he has to.

Nigel walked past the crater and carried further into Beacon.

* * *

**Near the statue of Beacon.**

Gale was ahead of everyone else and further down the academy where it's far more populated and crowded with mostly teenagers and a few adults who work at the academy and will be the professors to help guide the new and young souls to become huntsman.

Gale stopped when he saw something that caught his attention and turned his view towards it; a statue showing two brave huntsman with their weapons and a Beowulf. The same statue he has seen in his dream quite a while ago but he can still remember as if it were yesterday.

The poses of the two warriors with their weapons, standing on top of the rock that symbolizes their glory and bravery to protect humanity, and the Beowulf at the bottom of the boulder that represents the Grimm's thirst for destruction and the end of human society.

Gale stood in silence but also slightly grinning, admiring the statue and it's deep symbolism of humanity and it's arch enemy in a never ending war with each other.

So now that he's finally here, the very thing he thought about ever since that dream, he can now start his next trial and goal to find his purpose and happiness.

Though, his thoughts were short lived when he couldn't help but hear the sound of running feet and excited chatter right behind him…. and they are getting closer to him every second.

Despite getting a glimpse in the corner of his eye what appears to a group of a few people coming at him at a fast pace, Gale no time to turn around or get out of the way, as he felt something slam into him from behind him.

Thankfully, right before impact, he braced himself and the power of the collision only sent him taking one step forward but he stood firm and never fell over. He quickly regained his balance and remained standing on his feet, showing no signs of faltering and looking as sturdy as he is.

At the same time, during that moment of impact, Gale saw several teenagers running on ahead of him but he also heard somebody behind him hit the ground in an audible thud.

"All right. Who in the right mind would just run into me like that?" Gale said, sounding slightly annoyed as to why someone would just run into him like that. "Unless I am missing something here, if this is part of the Curriculum of Beacon Academy, I don't think it should start until tomorrow." He calmly said as he turned around looked at the person that ran into him.

What he saw, to his slight surprise, is a girl… a blonde and bodacious looking bombshell of a girl.

What trait that Gale first noticed about her is her blonde hair which flows like a stream of pure golden silk. He also noticed her outfit which covered plenty of her but still showed off her some skin, especially the legs, midriff, and chest area… showing some visible bits of muscle in her arms and legs… but he especially took a momentary stare at her chest but quickly focused his gaze at her face when she just starting to recover. He also noticed on her wrists appear to be a pair of yellow bracelets… but his instincts are telling him they something more than that.

But that isn't the only thing that Gale is focused about. In fact, there's a different reason…

Come to think of it, her appearance reminded him of something familiar to him, especially her luscious blonde hair again which also looks very familiar.

"_That girl… she looks just like the silhouette with the glowing hair and red eyes in my dream, on that night on the mountain back in the Sanus Jungles..." _Gale thought in his head, feeling that it's strange if this is a coincidence or something far more than that.

However, Yang came to her senses and shook the cobwebs out of her head.

"Oh man…. Did I just run into a wall or something?" Said the girl, who turns out to be Yang, slightly dazed but otherwise appears to be fine. She managed to regain her senses and tried to stand up but she couldn't help but take a look at the person that was looking at her from above.

The person she sees is a young teenage boy, with short and spiky orange hair and a skin tone that was tan, who stands right in front of her and is looking down at her from above. Despite being around her age, he easily towers over her, even if she stood up to her full height, though, he's not quite as tall as the likes of Junior that she met not too long ago.

She got a good look at him and especially eyed those turquoise colored bracelets he has on his wrists… and she couldn't but feel those bracelets are more than what are by appearance.

However, she also couldn't help but turn her gaze to his abdomen. Despite Gale is wearing a tank top to cover himself, she could still clearly see he's in great shape and the piece of clothing is a little bit small for him so it's hugging him tightly which makes it easier to see his well defined abs….

Like Gale, her gaze towards his midsection was only for a mere second and turned her focus to Gale's face which she saw his turquoise colored eyes and Gale noticed her eyes which were lavender in color.

Gale was the first to speak up to end the awkward silence.

"You okay?" Gale asked, trying to sound normal and hoping her running into him hasn't done any harm to her. Though, based on him observing her, she looks fine and doesn't show any signs of pain or discomfort.

"Oh yeah, I sure am!" Yang spouted in confidence, springing back up to her feet and looking as confident and spunky as she ever was. "Never felt any better!"

"Oh that's good." Gale said, deciding to play along since that blonde was a bit dizzy from running into him so he's just being casual about it as well.

"So… you're here to become a huntress?" Gale asked, trying to start a normal conversation, despite not knowing this girl.. only the possibility of seeing her in his dreams that comes into question but ultimately decides to keep it to himself.

"Oh that I am!" Yang quipped and gave a slightly smug grin towards this potential classmate. "I'm here to kick Grimm butt left and right like a complete badass!" She boasted, bumping her fists together with a grin… which is just like the blonde silhouette did in Gale's dream.

However, Yang only left out a few other parts of her reasons for being a huntress since she just met this boy and doesn't know him.

"Nice." Gale nodded, approving of Yang's motivations and smiling a bit. "Seems pretty reasonable and fun. I have my reasons for being here, as I too have my reasons to become a huntsman, but let's just say I too feel eager that one of my reasons is kicking Grimm butt as well."

This made Yang grin again, hearing the sound of a potential classmate also enjoying the thrill of slaying Grimm and likely also enjoying some good sparring and fights with others, which is pretty true as Gale does enjoy sparring and fighting too.

"Sweet!" Yang cheered, feeling excited and interested with this guy. "Well, as much as I like to chat and maybe _spar_ with you, I gotta get going and catch up with my friends." She said, slipping in a wink and even sounded slightly flirty with him which made Gale raised an eyebrow in confusion as to why she would suddenly flirt with him when they don't even know each other… or maybe she has a habit of flirting with people.

"Anyways. Well, if we ever see each other again, might as well test each others strengths and see who comes out on top, Okay, see ya!" She said and darted on ahead and further down the academy.

Gale watched her run past him and further into the academy.

"Wait! Hold on!" Gale called out to her, feeling like he wants to ask her an important question.

The blonde stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulders

"Oh? Is there something you want to tell me~?" The girl turned her head over her shoulder, having her eyelids half open and sounding a bit flirty in her tone. Now Gale isn't sure what she's trying to pull on him but he decides to just play along.

"Well, all I want to know is your name." Gale simply said, being straightforward.

"Oh. Well, my name is Yang Xiao Long so you better not forget that." She said. "And since I shared you my name, than what's your name?" Yang asked to this orange haired boy

"Well, it's Gale… Gale Hathi." Gale answered to her, sounding sincere and honest.

"Well, Gale." Yang said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow like she's interested in him. "Stick around longer and you may find out what I'm capable of." That's all that she said, as she winked and went on further into the Academy.

Gale stood in silence as he watched the girl now revealed her name to be Yang taking off. Normally, he doesn't really take notice much… but Yang does look pretty cure and even… really hot.

Gale shakes his head and regains his focus. He lets out a sigh and stares at the statue one last time for half a minute, before walking off to the amphitheater.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, three young souls are learning about each other, as they calmly stroll down through a different courtyard that's also near a large artificial pond filled with lily pads and other aquatic plants that are also inhabited by frogs and fish.

Ruby and Adam have decided to walk with Jaune, deciding to give him some company, after that embarrassing experience and also Jaune helping Ruby up with a greeting hand. They still have time to spare before they need to go to the Amphitheater

Ruby was in the middle, with Jaune on her left and Adam on her right; The colors of red, blue, and yellow, were all walking together.

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on." Jaune says

"Especially with so many transportation of all kinds in nearly every terrain." Adam pointed out.

"I know!" Jaune agreed.

"Look, I'm sorry. Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind." Ruby said apologetically.

"Besides, there are far worse names out there than being called Vomit Boy." Adam says bluntly.

"Oh yeah?" Jaune rebutted at the two, feeling a bit annoyed. "What if I called you Crater Face and Blunt Mask?" Jaune rebutted towards Ruby and Adam respectfully. Ruby took offense to that but Adam didn't bat an eye and just kept walking with the two.

"Hey! That explosion was an accident!" Ruby shot back and trying to defend herself, feeling like it was Weiss' fault to cause that accident to happen. "Besides, that princess was shaking Dust in my face and made me sneeze so it's her fault!" She further added to justify the accident.

"_So it was the heiress that caused it... should've known she would be responsible, by the lack of precaution and mere arrogance on her part." _Adam thought when he but kept silent.

Jaune decided to change the topic a bit, since Ruby was still ticked about Weiss and her uptight attitude.

"Well the name's Jaune Arc; Short, sweet, tolls of the tongue, ladies love it!" Jaune boasts, trying to sound confident and impressive… as best as he tried to make it which isn't much.

Behind his mask, Adam raised an eyebrow at hearing Jaune sounding like a casanova wannabe. _"Something tells me he isn't gonna be getting a girl for quite some time… if at all, with that kind of approach." _He thought.

Ruby, on the other hand, couldn't help but snicker and feeling a little amused.

"Do they?" Ruby teased and sounded skeptical.

Jaune quickly assured Ruby with the gesture of his arms. "They will. Well, I.. hope they will…" Jaune said, now sounding a little doubtful but he continued. "I mean, my mom always says that… never mind." He said trying to drop what he tried to say.

"_Talk about a first impression." _Adam thought, now feeling slight pity towards Jaune and his attempt of trying to sound like he's cool… and involving his mother that wasn't helping him..

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly but thought of an idea that changes the topic again.

"So… I got this thing." Ruby says as she brings out her Crescent Rose and turns it into Scythe mode with the pointed top slamming against the ground with a loud mechanical thud that slightly shook the ground.

Jaune was shocked and awed but Adam was curious and impressed seeing a mere 15 year old girl own and wield a weapon like that. He deduces she must have some very great skills to wield a weapon like that, both up close and long range.

"Whoa!" Jaune exclaimed in surprise. "Is that a scythe?!"

"It's also a customizable, high impact velocity sniper rifle."Ruby said, now suddenly sounding like some weapons expert that's demonstrating her weapon.

"A wha-?" Jaune said confused.

"It's also a gun." Ruby also said, cocking her

"Quite a versatile and practical weapon to have at close and long range capabilities." Adam said which made Ruby grin at Adam's statement.

"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune said, impressed.

"So what've you got?" Ruby asked Jaune, wondering if he has a weapon of his own. She sees it hanging off his hip and wonder what kind of weapon it may be.

"Oh! Uh…." Jaune was hesitant for a second but reached for his weapon and unsheathed it. "I got this sword."

The sword in his hand is just a simple longsword with a blue handle and a golden-crossguard.

"Ooooo." Ruby awed in impression, showing even a primitive weapon like a simple sword with no advanced features still manages to impress her.

As for Adam, he was a bit curious, since he has a high respect to classical weapons that lack advanced upgrades and additions nowadays.

Jaune wasn't done as he reached for his sheath which actually doubles as a shield as it expands itself into the shape of a shield. On the shield is his symbol which are two yellow crescents

"Yeah, I've got a shield too." Jaune said, holding the shield strapped to his arm.

"So what do they do?" Ruby asked, touching the shield but accidentally made Jaune's shield to retract which also made if fling out of Jaune's arm. Jaune panics and tries to recover his scabbard but it keeps expanding and retracting until it fell to the ground which Jaune quickly retrieved it back into his hand.

"... The shield gets smaller. So… when I get tired of carrying it..,,, I can just put it away." He said that sounded a bit awkward.

"But wouldn't it just weigh the same?" Asked Ruby and corrected him.

Jaune already knew she was right and mentally slapped himself for saying that. "Yeah, it does."

"And what's wrong with that, Jaune?" Adam assured him from his doubts. "It still functions well to double as a sheath which leaves your hands free when you're not fighting or doing other things."

This made Jaune perk up a little of hearing Adam giving him some bits of praise there in the usefulness of his weapon.

"Thanks!" Jaune said and feeling a bit better. "I should've thought of that from the start!"

"Don't mention it." Adam said but he was being sincere.

"Hey. Why don't you show us your weapon, Adam?" Ruby said with a grin and felt eager to see Adam's own weapon. Jaune was also curious, as he and Ruby stared at Adam's weapon that was strapped to his hip.

Adam stared at the two for a few seconds but complied. Normally, he doesn't like to show off his weapon and likes to keep it to himself, but since they are nicely asking him, he's fine with that.

He's fine with that and slowly reaches his hand towards his sword, slowly wrapping his fingers on the handle of Wilt and slowly draws his blade in such as fashion it makes him look like an honorable samurai. He quickly unsheathes it at a fast draw that it made a loud and sharp "shing" sound effect, while striking a pose with his blade out.

"Now _that's _a katana." Ruby says with a big grin on her face that tells us how she's generally impressed with Adam's weapon of choice.

"Why thank you." Adam replied to Ruby. Jaune also was awed but he tried to not feel down seeing Adam has such as way more awesome looking weapon than his own. He also showed them his sheath, Bush, that's also part shotgun so that makes his arsenal really versatile.

"Well.. at least both of us here have sheaths that aren't just for holding swords." Jaune chuckled and Adam couldn't help but smirk in agreement.

"Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I did go a little overboard designing Crescent Rose." Ruby says as she admits she's a little obsessive with weapons and such.

"Wait. You made that?" Jaune asked in surprise of hearing a young girl making such a complex and badass looking weapon on her own.

"Of course!" Ruby confirmed. "All students at Signal forge their own weapons."

She looked at Jaune's sword again and wondered if he forged that. "Didn't you make yours?" She asked.

Jaune stayed silent for a second and stared at his weapon like he's recalling something about it., until he answered.

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great grandfather used it to fight in the war." He said.

"The war that also brought peace and the Vytal Festival?" Adam asked.

"Yes. That war he fought in." Jaune replied.

"And what name does your sword have?" Adam asked in slight curiosity which made Jaune looked surprised that someone would bother to ask that his weapon's name is.

"Oh… uh… it's Crocea Mors." Jaine answered.

"Crocea Mors, huh?" Adam said out loud. "In an ancient language, It means 'Yellow Death'." He added. "According to many documents and legends, it was said your great-great grandfather gave his sword its name after he battled and survived the Great War. A color his emblem barred on the battlefield, for many to gaze upon, and many tales of it told through many generations."

This actually surprised both Ruby and Jaune hearing Adam

"Whoa. How did you know that kind of stuff?" Jaune asked in complete surprise.

"Let's just say I've been to a lot of libraries. Which gives me plenty of opportunities to read what catches my interests." Adam said as he can remember how much he and Blake have gone to many libraries.

Since Blake is really fond of reading many kinds of books… especially the ones that have smut, Adam is usually with her so he too is at the libraries a lot.

While Adam ain't deep into books as much as Blake, he still takes the time to find a book he finds interesting and reads them, mostly ones that involve history of Remnant and occasionally stories of heroic and righteous protagonists on many kinds of adventures. Those kinds of genres do pique his curiosity.

"Alright." Jaune said, going along with Adam's answer, still shocked of Adam's sudden book smarts.

"That definitely sounds like a family heirloom to me… well I like it!" Ruby chimed, still liking Jaune's weapon. "Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah… the classics." Jaune said that was almost a whisper.

"And what about you, Adam?" Ruby asked. "Did you make your weapon or was it also a hand-me-down?"

Adam was silent and looked at his sword, gently holding it in his hand and tracing his fingers across the blue blade.

"I didn't make it but it's not a hand-me-down." He answered.

Ruby and Jaune raised their eyebrows but kept listening.

"It was given to me… by a man who trained me... after I rightfully earned it…." He calmly stated. Thinking about the man who passed down the blue tinted blade when he passed all of his assigned trials to be worthy of Wilt which he now wields as his signature weapon of choice.

He remembers seeing himself, around the age of 14, standing in the middle of a darkened room, covered in bruises and cuts. The man he mentioned bows before him, holding Wilt in the palms of his hand and offers it to Adam… as he slowly takes it and holds it in his grasp.

"Really?" Ruby said, having stars in her eyes and she wants to know how he earned it.

"Yes." Adam replied. "And I take great pride in using it in battle and in handling it with care."

"So… was your sheath given to you too?" Jaune asked in curiosity, staring at his sheath shotgun hybrid.

"Well… It's just Wilt that I earned. I built Blush by myself and with my own hands." Adam said.

The both of them nodded to Adam and all three kept walking but Ruby wondered something.

"So why did you two help me out back there, in the courtyard?"

"Eh, why not?" Said Jaune who was the first to answer. "Like my mom always said to me, 'strangers are just friends you haven't met yet'."

"Quite an interesting piece of advice… but you should keep in mind not all strangers you meet may be your friends." Adam said to Jaune who silently took note of that.

"Hmmm…" Ruby hummed and looked around… wondering where she's at. "Hey, where are we going?"

"Oh, I dunno, I was following you." Jaune answered and admitted he has no idea where he's going or where he's even at with his new buddies.

Adam wanted to facepalm but kept his cool, slowly turned his head towards Jaune, and silently staring at him in silence.

"... You think there might be a directory?" Jaune … a food court?" He droned on which made Ruby snicker. "Some sort of recognizable landmark?"

Ruby couldn't help but sputter from laughing when Jaune was just rambling on.

"Is uh… is that a 'no'?" Jaune asked, feeling like he knows what the answer is.

Ruby chuckles and gives the answer. "That's definitely a 'no'."

"I suggest if it's best we should ask someone that may help us find the amphitheater." Adam said, saying they should find

"Yeah… I think we should." Jaune agreed.

* * *

**Further down the academy.**

Down here in this part of the academy, it's much more quiet.

But it didn't stay quiet for long as it suddenly gotten louder with the sounds of cheerful screams and the stampeding feet of his unwanted fans as they continue to give chase to Rocky.

No matter how fast he could run, it seems he could not escape them.

"How is that I could outrun Wily but not these people?!" Rocky said out loud and cursing why he's not outrunning someone… and starts to realize why he couldn't outrun them. He does an Aside Glance "... Unless it's YOU that's making me do this!" He scolded, despite that there's no one his gaze is directed at, he knows who he's talking to…. Ehehe…

However, Rocky saw something ahead of him that might help him escape.

Where he's at is one of the many courtyards of Beacon but this one is also a garden; he sees the center of the courtyard is surrounded with all kinds of trees, shrubs, curved pathways, and even lots of decorated additions, like statues and garden gnomes. There's even a garden that grows lots of vegetables, along an apple tree and cherry tree.

In the center of the courtyard, there's a giant water fountain statue made of marble that takes the shape of a female angel with a mature face, wearing heavy armor and a crown made from wheat on the top of her head, and wielding two axes in her hands, as her six wings were spread out from her back, making her look radiant and imposing.

Surrounding the statue were many water fountains that took the shape of other angels but each of them had only two wings, wearing simple togas, and were doing various elegant poses, while spraying water out of their mouths.

Rocky has an idea that may seem stupid but just might work.

He quickly turns a sharp corner and runs straight to the statues. He leaps up on a random platform that's empty and does a random pose that mimics the statues. He quickly pops a small water Dust crystal into his mouth and starts spraying water, mimicking the statues.

Rocky's unwanted fans all ran past him, not even bothering to look at the statues where Rocky was blending in… not very well…. Though, it still worked. Once they were gone, Rocky dropped the act and hopped off the platform, while spitting the rest of the water out of his mouth.

"Haha… suckers." Rocky snickers and starts running around another corner.

That is…. Rocky turned the corner, he was moving too fast.

And ended up crashing into something… or someone.

"OOF!"

Both Rocky and the mysterious person tumbled and crashed to the floor, in a tangled mess.

The courtyard was dead silent but it was soon filled with painful groans.

"Can't this day just get any worse ...?" Rocky grumbled, sitting up and not really hurt.

"AHEM."

Rocky heard what sounded like a grouchy disapproval that was right beneath him.

He looked down….

And sees a pair of eyes that angrily glare at him.

Rocky's eyes widened in realization and he instantly gets off the person he was on top of.

"Ahh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you like that!" Rocky frantically apologized to the person he ran into.

The person turns out to be elderly man, around his early to mid 70's, with wrinkly skin, bags under his eyes, and age spots on the top his mostly bald head which only has some hair on the sides of his head.

He's wearing nothing but a standard custodian uniform, which is dark green in color, over a simple white T-shirt, a pair of simple brown shoes, and a single cap with Beacon's logo on it.

In his right hand, he holds a large sweeping broom, and has a name tag strapped to his uniform that says "Mr. Nevin" which gives out the hint of his name.

The custodian, apparently named Nevins, was still on the ground but he was slowly getting up and retrieved his had that fell off of his head when he and Rocky fell to the ground.

"Just what in the dickens are you trying to do?! Running into me like some wonky tosser?!" He ranted, in a British accent that was also slightly raspy, while pointing his broomstick at Rocky threateningly. "You better explain yourself or I'll make you myself!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Rocky said, completely caught off guard, with his hands up. "You got it all wrong! It was all a mistake and I deeply apologize for not seeing where I was going!"

"Is it now?" Nevin said quizzically, still not convinced by Rocky words. "Than explain to me why did you running in the first place, along with what sounded like a crowd of people running through here?"

Rocky can tell Nevin isn't joking. He can see it in his eyes that he's serious and there's no backpedaling out of it.

After a few seconds of silence, Rocky lets out a sigh and relaxes a little, willing to talk.

"Okay, Gramps. This may sound really ridiculous and hard to believe... but I was trying to get away from a crowd of crazy people who claim them to be my fans all because I am apparently popular for my dance moves at a dance club from another kingdom so they tried to swarm me like they are so obsessed with me. So I bailed out and hid from them by mimicking those statues!" He said, while pointing at the statues nearby.

After the rather absurd explanation, Rocky did a sheepish smile and hoped the custodian believes him.

Nevins stared at Rocky for several seconds in complete silence but he's reading him like an open book…. And he believed him, as he can see it in his eyes, that this young faunus is being truthful.

"Very well then." Nevin said, calming down a little, actually believing him. "As preposterous as that sounds, I'm more than willing to listen to those who are truthful with themselves..."

"Well, seems we're off to a good start." Rocky said.

"Yes but that doesn't makes us friends." Nevin bluntly said, as he slowly started getting up.

Feeling a little bad, Rocky reached his hand out and help the custodian back on his feet. He does look injured so he may need some help…. Except that Nevin frowns and looks disapproved towards Rocky.

"Hmph!" he snorted, scoffing at Rocky's offer to help him up, when he can do it himself. "I don't need any pity from you when I can get up on my own two feet by myself!" He said in an aggravated tone and started standing up.

"_Jeez, Gramps." _Rocky thought and sweat dropped, feeling a little annoyed with this grouchy, old, custodian. _"Just which side of the bed did you wake up on?"_

"Though… I do appreciate the offer, lad." Nevin suddenly said, as if he's sounding polite but his grumpy expression made it hard to tell if he meant it or not.

"_And now he compliments it anyways." _Rocky thought with a visible sweatdrop but decides to just go along with it.

Regardless, Nevin wasn't kidding, as he instantly got up on his feet without any signs of struggling or straining, like it was more of an inconvenience. Shortly after, he had to straighten his back which let out a loud "CRACK!" and he sighed in relief, while holding his broom with one hand.

Rocky watched in amazement of seeing him doing just fine with no signs of fatigue or strain.

Despite being in his early 70's, Nevin is quite tall, around 6'1", and looked pretty well physically fit. It makes one wonder if he was a former huntsman or just some guy who liked working out a lot and had a very well balanced diet.

"Dang. For an old man, you sure look like you could run a whole mile." Rocky said rather impressed.

"Indeed, that I can, lad." Nevin answered, still sounding grumpy and senile, while brushing tiny pieces of debris and rocks off of his shoulders. "It's gonna take far more than that for me to end up in a home."

"You tell me." Rocky said.

Nevin straightened himself out, while turning his gaze towards Rocky as he inspects him… though, he frowns at Rocky's sense of style of clothing that he wears but he keeps him composure.

"Now then. The custodian said. "I take it that you must be one of the chaps and lasses that are here for the ceremony to become new students and huntsman?"

"Uh… yes, I am." Rocky answered and nodded, a little confused as to why the custodian is asking him a question like that… why would a custodian ask something like that when their job is cleaning and maintaining the academy… unless he has a good reason.

"And why do you ask?" Rocky said to Nevin in curiosity.

Nevin than opened his mouth but didn't say anything for a few seconds, like he's thinking of something, and then finally spoke.

"Well, in that case, for me, more new students means more reason for me to clean up after yourselves, while tending this academy in perfect condition." He says while gripping tightly to his sweeping broom.

"So, you're a custodian, basically." Rocky pointed. "Wasn't that hard to figure out, based on your outfit."

"Oh, you think?" Nevin sarcastically commented with a raised eyebrow like it's obvious and Rocky didn't figure it out. "Why, It's an honorable job that I take great pride in sweeping and cleaning every corner of this academy. That, I have done for the past 30 years, ever since Ozpin hired me with open arms."

Rocky nodded, starting to feel curious and interested with this custodian, but felt like he needed to get going… especially that his fans are likely still around and searching for him.

"Well.. back in my day…" Nevin started to say but Rocky beat him to the punch.

"Yes, yes." Rocky interrupted. "While that's great and all, Mr. Nevin." He continued, while trying to sound polite, as he's comically inching away with his feet that not even moving his body like he's defying physics. "As much as I like to chit chat and hear more about your background that may or may not be seen in the upcoming chapters, I gotta get going!" He then started to zip out of sight which than transits to showing Rocky sprinting out of the courtyard and to wherever the amphitheater is supposed to be.

"See ya later, gramps!" Rocky shouted in the distance while the custodian watches on without batting an eye.

"Hmph… kids these days." Nevin muttered and started heading elsewhere to finish prepping up the academy to look nice for all the students and professors that will be using for the next four years.

* * *

**45 minutes later. Amphitheater.**

The Amphitheater; a glass dome shaped building with bleachers and an open area for the students to stand in. On the opposite side of the entrance, there is a circular stage with an ornate backdrop.

The building's already packed with many newcomers that are all here and ready to here Ozpin's speech about what it takes to be a huntsman.

And amongst the crowd, are certain faces.

In one spot, there stood Gale who's waiting for the announcement… and also wondering who may be his partner and teammates.

Ever since he arrived in Vale, his thoughts in his head were filled with questions as to what will happen for the next four years in his life; Will it be great to have someone by his side and accept him for who he is?... or will it just be a failure for him when they reject him like some kind of freak?

Due to his superior height, he's able to easily look over the crowd and see his surroundings much better. He can even see Yang not too far away from him who's just standing there like she's waiting for someone.

Gale is still curious about that blonde girl who goes by the name of Yang. Thing is, he doesn't know a single thing about her but his memories of seeing a silhouette that resembles her in his dreams. He shakes his head again and considers it's just a coincidence….

Further back, near the entrance is Nigel, who was at the far back and leaning against the wall, checking out everyone and using his semblance to read their aura and emotions. As often and as long as he could remember doing this, He's never gotten bored or tired of doing this. He's always reading emotions of many individuals at once and wondering what they could be thinking just by their emotions alone.

And not just that, he can even sense how strong each of their own aura is as well. Such as that blonde girl over there has a very strong aura that felt wild and untamed. Or that green eyed redhead girl with bits of armor on with aura that's more focused and concentrated, despite also feeling powerful too.

At least it helps him read people more easily to help him communicate with them better.

Before Nigel could think any further, he heard the sound of running right behind him and also sensed what felt like

It's Rocky… and he's coming in fast.

"Coming through!" He shouted as he entered the building, at full speed.

Without leaving his spot, Nigel reached his arm out and grabbed Rocky by the back of his jacket which stopped Rocky in his tracks… which caused him to stop in his tracks and his legs to fly out in front of him due to the whiplash that halted him.

"ACK!" Rocky choked and felt his neck tighten that almost cut off his air supply. His eyes comically popped out of his head but flew back into his sockets when he whiplashed back that leads him standing next to Nigel who lets go of Rocky but doesn't bat an eye and remains leaning against the wall like nothing had happened.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Rocky demanded at this kangaroo faunus who just leaned against the wall.

"There was no need for you to enter this building by running like a rooster without it's head, mate." Nigel calmly told Rocky without even looking at him. "It looked like you were gonna crash into the crowd of new students here so I did what I did to prevent a ruckus."

Rocky grew a tick mark, feeling annoyed he's being lectured by this stranger he doesn't even know. Normally, Rocky doesn't get irritable with other people, even those he has met. But with so much going on, he's starting to slowly reach his limit.

"Alright, pal." He ranted with hints of anger in his voice. " First of all; I was running for a good reason, thank you very much! Second; You almost broke my neck just by grabbing me by the back of my jacket. It felt like either I was gonna become paralyzed from the neck down or have my own eyeballs pop out of my sockets which neither enjoyable!"

"Oh quit your bellyaching." Nigel bluntly scoffed. "I've seen plenty of people and faunus in my life take things far worse than that and walk it off."

"Oh ha ha ha." Rocky sarcastically spat at Nigel who doesn't blink or change his expression, since he can sense Rocky's emotions. "Fancy coming from you who shouldn't stick his nose in someone else's business."

"Like I said. It looked like you were gonna crash into the crowd so I did what I could in the nick of time to prevent a ruckus."

This made Rocky stop his fuss and raise an eyebrow. When he thought about it, the kangaroo faunus was right on that part.

"Come to think of it… how did you know I was entering the place at such a fast pace?" He asked, wondering how this guy predicted him. "You are standing right next to the door and yet you didn't even look outside and seeing me.

"Let's just say that it could be my semblance that may or may not have been involved in predicting you. Not that it would matter now because we aren't partners so save it until we may… or may not." Nigel said, not giving a specific answer and sounding like he's

Rocky narrowed his eyes at this guy being a stick in the mud to him. Though, he just met this guy, he still doesn't know him and his full backstory so he ain't gonna completely judge him just for yanking him. It's best to

Whatever." Rocky scoffed, already dropping the topic that doesn't feel worth it. "As much as I like to hear more of your little bedtime stories about yourself, I'm gonna go undercover in the crowd and get this over with." He waved his hand and walked into the crowd. Though, he still felt curious of this kangaroo faunus who seemed pretty calm and cool… wondering if they may become partners but he's fine if they don't either.

Nigel watches Rocky head off but he never took his eyes off of him for a for more seconds and reading his aura and emotions… and he can sense he's got a wide range of emotions, mostly being silly, happy, and confusing… but he also senses a slight hint of depression somewhere deep down….

Nigel stayed silent and watched Rocky disappear into the crowd, regardless he can still see his green tinted aura.

That's when he senses two… no three more familiar figures starting to enter the building.

Entering the amphitheater is none other than Ruby, Adam, and Jaune. Eventually, after some painstaking effort to find the building they are looking for, they eventually found it and enter it.

The three recent acquaintances enter and look around, already impressed by the number of newcomers that are all packed in together.

While Ruby and Jaune were awed by the spectacle of the building's interior, Adam didn't show much surprise and remained stoic… but he does admit the architecture of the interior is quite beautiful. He looks around and scans through the crowds… hoping to find if Blake is here.

Luckily, he quickly spots Blake within the crowd and she's reading a different book that she got from the library. It means he's gonna have to depart but not before turning back to Ruby and Jaune.

"Well, Ruby and Jaune. It's nice meeting you two but, as much as I like to know you two better, I need to get going." He said and gestured towards Blake who is standing over there.

Ruby and Jaune noticed Blake and they nodded in understanding what Adam means.

"Oh. Okay, Adam." Ruby said, understanding what Adam has to do. "It was nice seeing you too and hope you show off more of that cool sword of yours!"

"One thing I like to say; good luck in Beacon Academy and I hope you two suceed in passing the initiation.

Ruby beamed a big smile that definitely means yes. Jaune seems hesitant for a second, as if he was having second thoughts, but smirks and nods as well.

"Yeah! You too, Adam." Jaune said, also giving his word to Adam in becoming part of the academy.

"Ruby!" Shouted a voice that she knew was Yang who was happily waving at her. "I saved you a spot!"

"Oh!" Ruby said in surprise and looked back at Jaune. "I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!"

Ruby left and Jaune watched her go.

"Hey Wait!" He said but Ruby was already gone.

"Great. Where am I supposed to find another quirky girl to talk to?!" The blonde asked himself, walking away and wondering who else he could chat with.. unbeknownst he's being watched by a redheaded girl with emerald green eyes…..

Adam walks off towards Blake who had her nose buried in a new book that she seems deeply interested in.

"I see the bookworm has found a new book to add to her own personal library." Adam said to announce his presence to Blake.

"Indeed that I have." Blake answered, not taking her eyes of the written pages but she can hear Adam just fine and is able to talk to him just as easily. "I've never seen a library with so many books in one place." She sounded pretty excited.

Adam couldn't help but smirk at hearing Blake sounding glad to find something that will give her plenty of time to read as many books as she wants, with 4 years to deal with.

"Well good for you." Adam said which made Blake take her eyes off the book and smiled at Adam whom smiled back. The two stayed silent for a few seconds until Blake spoke up.

"So… what did you do, while I was at the library?" Blake asked turned her eyes from the book to Adam again didn't look at her at first but slowly turned his sights towards her.

"Me? Well, let's just say I just got along and even befriended some new acquaintances, including that red hooded girl that exploded."

"Well that's good for you, Adam." Blake said while turning back to her book. "I find that a little surprising you are being a bit more social. Especially since we…." She tried to finish but stopped when she thought about Vlad… their teammate

"Yeah…. I just wanted to talk to someone, besides you." He calmly said that sounded hollow….

"_It seems Adam still has trouble getting over leaving Vlad behind …. ." _Blake thought in her mind. Even she found it hard leaving Vlad behind as well, since she knew him as much as Adam does.

But they already keep reminding themselves Vlad chose his path and they chose theirs so they need to keep moving forward.

Meanwhile Ruby was already meeting Yang who is happy seeing her little sister again but Ruby wasn't so much. Rocky was also there, standing with Yang and they were chatting.

"So let me get this straight." Yang said, like she's having a hard comprehending what Rocky just told her. "You were chased by your so called 'fans' that you had to pose as a water fountain statue just to escape them?"

"Pretty much." Rocky shrugged. "Cliche as it sounded, it worked in the end."

Ruby heard the whole thing just as she arrived… though, she wasn't in the mood when she instantly remembered both Yang and Rocky ditched her but she was considered Rocky's more justified but not Yang's.

"Oh look, here comes your sister, Yang. How ya doing Rubes?"

"Fine, Rocky." Ruby answered but didn't sound so optimistic and had her arms crossed.

"So how's your first day going, little sister?" Yang happily asked her sweet little sister and seeing if she's already liking the place but Ruby's still peeved at Yang which Rocky easily noticed.

"You mean that you ditched me and I exploded?" Ruby said that sounded like she's not happy with Yang.

"Yikes. Meltdown already?" Yang asked, already wondering what Ruby went through lately.

"Yeesh, Ruby. That escalated really quickly" Rocky butted in. "What did you do? Swallowed a bomb that you mistook for a cookie?" He added sarcastically.

"No. I literally exploded a hole in front of the school!" Ruby ranted like she's being serious. "And there was fire… and I think some ice…."

"And I thought I was fit for the gags." Rocky whispered, turning his head to the side and not directing it at Ruby or Yang.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang broadly smiled like she's teasing Ruby.

"Or you really did swallow a cookie disguised bomb?" Rocky deadpanned.

"Ugh! I wish, for either of the two or even both!" Ruby said. As she started ranting about what actually happened … Rocky instantly noticed someone is standing behind her. It's the same girl that Ruby met not too long ago… Weiss Schnee.

"YOU!" Weiss yelled, jump scaring Ruby from behind which caused her to jump into Yang's arms.

"OH GOD! IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!" Ruby shrieked.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss ranted, pointing out why she's still pissed.

"Oh my god. You really exploded." Yang deadpanned with her pupils shrunk like she's shocked at hearing what may be true.

"I still find eating the bomb that looked like a cookie more believable." Rocky says, sounding like his idea was better at how Ruby exploded.

Ruby ignored Yang and Rocky as she got off her big sister's arms and faces Weiss.

"It was an accident! It was an accident!" Ruby exclaimed, trying to give Weiss a reason what she did wasn't intentional.

However, Weiss suddenly pulled out something and showed it to Ruby which looked like some kind of hand held guide book that says "Dust for dummies and other inadequate individuals."

Rocky took notice of the guide too and was a little curious.

That's when Weiss went into a rather exaggerating long narration about the guide… than she started speeding up and the pitch her voice started to rise.

While Ruby was confused at trying to comprehend everything Weiss was saying… Rocky was even more confused, for a different reason, as he can actually hear Weiss' voice is actually changing pitch and is speeding up.

Unbeknownst to Ruby, Yang, or even Weiss, Rocky was holding what looked like a cartoonish remote with an oversized knob which he gripped his fingers on. Rocky was using his semblance and was manipulating Weiss' pitched tone and speed of her talking which was the actual thing that was confusing Ruby. Though, Ruby thinks it's her brain that's what's causing what makes Weiss sound so confusing.

"_Hehe. I love messing with people." _Rocky snickered, as he stopped using his semblance and put the remote away without anybody noticing.

"Uh…" Ruby droned, unsure how to respond to this strange way of hearing what Weiss told her at such a rapid and confusing pace.

"You really want to start making things up to me?" Weiss asked Ruby.

"Absolutely!" Ruby answered in an instant.

Weiss handed Ruby the guide and deadpanned in one sentence.

"Read this and don't ever speak to me again." Weiss said bluntly and straightforwardly.

"Well, that's one way of making things up to her." Rocky said.

And while he's at it, Rocky instantly knows it's definitely Weiss, as he's seen her in the news articles and magazines that he bought and kept. But now that he can see her up close and personal… something feels odd when he stares at her… it's like as if something's familiar about Weiss, despite never meeting her in person until now….

Weiss took notice Rocky is looking at her and she scowled at him.

"And what are you looking at?!" She scoffed towards this tailed feathered faunus.

Rocky darted his eyes elsewhere and whistling a tune like he's minding his own business.

Yang, scratching the back of her head with her hand, seeing how awkward this is getting, she tried to soften it up and try to ease the tension. "Look, uh… sounds like you two got off on the wrong foot."

"Yeah." Rocky agreed. "I suggest it's best if we let bygones be bygones and become friends, or at least acquaintances" Rocky suggested, hoping Ruby and Weiss listen to him but Weiss seems to glare at him.

"I mean… you two can't stay mad at each other forever…. Right?" He sheepishly said but Weiss narrowed her eyes at him like she's glaring into his soul.

"_I don't think she's getting the memo…." _Rocky thought and sweatdropped.

Though, as much as Weiss was glaring at Rocky, she couldn't help but stare at him a bit longer… it's almost like looking at him reminds her of something.. Someone she couldn't recall so easily but her mind is telling her something that she can't fully grasp.

"Yeah! Great idea, Rocky!" Ruby cheerfully agreed and turned her attention back to Weiss. She cleared her throat and stretched her hand out like she wants to get a handshake.

"Hell, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"

Hearing that made Rocky's pupils shrink just as he realized something.

"_Oh no! I forgot to buy the school supplies!" _He mentally screamed but calmed down and decided to get them later when this is over.

Weiss suddenly smiled but she's obviously being sarcastic, along sounding even more sarcastic in "agreeing" with Ruby. "Yeah, and we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys, like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there!" She pointed towards Jaune who seems alert like he's being mentioned.

Rocky couldn't but feel jealous and down that he wasn't mentioned when Jaune was since he's pretty handsome. "But… I'm cute too…"

"Oh wow, really?" Ruby cheerfully asked. Hoping that Weiss is really willing to accept her as a friend.

What Ruby expected was Weiss to be smiling at her… but what she sees is Weiss giving an angry frown and a cold hearted glare… giving an obvious answer in a tone that rivals her glare.

"NO."

"Ouch. So much for the sweet talk." Rocky said to Ruby.

Though, everyone's attention turned to the sound of a microphone activating.

There stands Ozpin, with Glynda standing next to him, while having a microphone in front of him.

"Ahem….I'll keep this brief." Ozpin pronounces and begins his speech, as everyone goes silent and listens.

However, just as he's about to begin, Nigel blinks and turns on his semblance. He has heard of Ozpin many times but this is the first time he sees him in person.. and he wants to read his aura and emotions.

From what he can read, Nigel mostly senses a lot of calm and focused pulses of emotions coming from Ozpin. Though, he focused a little harder and looked deeper. He swore he also sensed very small traces of doubt and sorrow… huh.

But his green coated aura seems far more interesting.

Even without having it activated, Rocky can sense Ozpin's aura is very strong and potent. He can see there are no gaps or weak points in the aura that covers his entire body which means he has a very strong connection to controlling it, showing how skilled and experienced he is which makes it the more reason that he's the headmaster

But there's something else about Oz's aura he's never sensed or seen before.

Normally, most aura among individuals each have their own unique wavelength pattern that never matches with another's.

Throughout history, there have been rare mutations where some aura have more than one wavelength pattern that intersects together... but that has been known to cause a slight unstable wavelength that makes it harder for the user to control their aura.

It's a rare condition known as Multiple Aura Wavelength Instability.

But Ozpin's aura ... has dozens upon dozens of different wavelength patterns that are all rippling together ...but his aura appears to remain stable and look absolutely fine, like any other aura with a single wavelength.

This made Nigel curious that Ozpin must be very special in having a kind of aura like this…

Than again, Remnant is still full of mysterys and there is still a lot of things that remain hidden that have yet to be discovered and possibly even go beyond the grasp of logic and physics.

Nigel turns his aura as Ozpin just starts speaking.

"You have all traveled here in search of knowledge and experience. To hone your craft, acquire new skills, and strengthen your bodies. And when you have finished your 4 years, you plan to dedicate your lives to the protection of Remnant and its people."

"But I gaze upon you all… and all I see is wasted energy and potential in need of purpose, direction." Ozpin said that caused some students to suddenly whisper to themselves. Some even look doubtful which Nigel can sense.

Gale was especially caught off by this at hearing Ozpin sound so critical and serious on that part. Though, it's expected that this isn't a mere game and this needs to be taken seriously. They are training to be facing the Grimm and those abominations.

Just thinking about the Grimm made Gale momentarily visualize the Alpha Beringel, the very monster that pushed him to his limits and forced him to use his trump card to defeat it...

"You assume knowledge will free you from this but your years at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far." Ozpin further said, saying something that caused the students to really question if knowledge itself alone are enough to get through the academy.

Just as it seemed Ozpin was finished, he had one more thing to say to his future students that he assures they will always keep as a reminder to themselves in this academy.

"It is up to you to make that first step." Ozpin finished and departs. This made many really think about it, especially the likes of Ruby who looked very determined in taking that first step.

Glynda takes the spot where Ozpin was and instructs what the new students will do next.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow the initiation begins so be ready. You are dismissed!" Glynda informs and ends it there as she too heads out with Ozpin.

With that said and done, all the new students begin to leave the amphitheater, preparing to sleep at the ballroom for the night which is only several hours away.

Adam and Blake were some of the first to leave but what they have heard kept them thinking for preparation.

"Well…. that was something." Said Blake, not that interested for the speech.

"Yeah. As much as I admire his first half of his speech, he started to sound like he doubt us in the second half." Adam further added, right after hearing Ozpin say "wasted potential.".

To be fair, Ozpin is sort of right, on one thing; Knowledge alone can only get you so far against the reality of the world and especially the dangers that lurk in them.

Adam and Blake's own knowledge is rather limited when it doesn't involve the White Fang and they are still rather young, still got a long way to go until they become effective fighters that can help them deal with just about any threat, Grimm, thugs, and especially the White Fang which they wish to stop and change before it becomes any worse than what it already is.

"So it seems we are taking the 4 years in this academy after all." Adam said calmly and kept walking with Blake.

"Indeed, that it is." The bow wearing faunus replied. "Might as well make the best of it."

"And as we've discussed." Adam added. "Teammates or not, we will have each others backs and we'll remain together until the end." He smiled a little which made Blake smile back.

Behind them, Nigel just walked out of the theater, not saying a word or anything. He's wondering is about Ozpin's unique aura for a little bit but decides to wonder about that for later when he's got a big day tomorrow to get his own teammate and team.

His main mission is becoming a huntsman which makes things easier for him to get some well hardened cash… and other reasons he vowed to do…

"_Heh. Guess we'll get down to business by tomorrow and I'll be one step closer to making my job easier." _Nigel thought.

Elsewhere, Gale was about to depart but he stood in the center for one more minute.

"_Four years, huh?" _He thought. _"It's not like I didn't know that from the start but the way Ozpin says it makes it sound far more challenging… guess I'll do what I can to make the best out of it… hopefully, I can try to not make people take me the wrong way for my semblance that makes… look like a faunus, despite that I'm a human… at least that's what I think I really am by default." _

Gale than turns around and heads out as well.

All's left is Rocky with Ruby, Yang, and Weiss, who still haven't left their spot and are wondering about the speech.

"He seemed kinda… off." Yang said, feeling a little weirded out by Ozpin.

"It's almost like he wasn't even there." Ruby says, agreeing with her sister.

"Not sure if I should be offended or inspired by his speech… or both?" Rocky mumbled that wasn't making sense.

"I'm a natural blonde, you know!" Announced Jaune who's staring at Weiss who facepalmed while everyone else was confused.

"Just who the heck are you?" Rocky blurted out.

* * *

**Later at Night; Hallway near the Boy's Locker Room**

It was already night time,as the moon shone high into the sky. Interestingly, the moon doesn't look shattered and appears to look like a full moon, due to its unique rotation speed that shows the moon either looking like a full moon or shattered in view.

Within the hallways of the academy, there is a door that leads to the boy's locker room and steam was seeping out of the tiny gaps. A

Once in a while, the door opens either for a new guy to enter to have a nice hot shower or for one that already went in to come out, feeling clean and refreshed, and head to the ballroom to get his shut eye.

The door slams open again and coming out of the locker room is none other than Gale Hathi.

He sighed in relief of feeling so refreshed from taking such a nice hot shower. Gale recalled the only times he ever showered and bathed were the waterfalls and lagoons back in the Sanus Jungles. Even when his grandfather was alive, they always used the waterfalls and lagoons to clean and refresh themselves.

Even then, it feels a little different for Gale to shower in a locker room with the other guys who are minding their own businesses, occasionally making short conversations and making comments with each other. Nothing personal. It's just that he's used to doing it all by himself with nobody else around.

With that taken care of, he walks out… and decides to go shirtless for tonight since some of the other guys are doing it too, so what the heck.

Gale than turned a corner… only to end up bumping into someone… well, more like someone that smacked into him like as if they were walking into a solid wall and ends up falling on their butt.

Gale stopped in his tracks and was caught off guard of walking into someone without warning.

"Woah there!" Gale exclaimed and looked down at the person. "You okay there?" He asked in concern, hoping he didn't harm the person.

The person he has bumped into… is wearing a pair of blue footie pajamas, complete with blue bunny slippers… and an image of a cute little bunny on the front of the pajamas.

Thing is, the person that's wearing this kind of clothing for sleeping…. is Jaune Arc.

Jaune was momentarily stunned and was dizzy for a second.

"Oh man.. Did I just walk right into a wall around that corner?" Jaune slurred, a little dizzy but shook the cobwebs out of his head and regained his senses.

Just as Jaune recovered, he noticed a shadow was looming over him and he instantly took notice of Gale who towered over him and looked down upon him, like a mountain.

Jaune couldn't help but feel both indimiated and awed by this awesome and powerful looking dude. It makes him feel admired and deeply wished he had a build like that, since he's somewhere between being scrawny and decently athletic.

"You okay there? Hope I didn't hurt just by you bumping into me?" Gale said to Jaune, hoping he's alright and doesn't end up taking him to the nurses office… even before the initiation no less.

Jaune shook his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"Nah. No need to worry about me. I'm completely fine… mostly." Jaune assured.

"Alright then." Gale said, feeling glad this dude is alright and not harmed. Hopefully, he could befriend this guy since he seems pretty friendly. He reached his hand out to help Jaune up who accepted and grabbed Gale's hand.

Much to Jaune's shock, Gale casually pulled him up to his feet with no effort or struggle. It's like he as if he weighed very little to the likes of Gale.

"There we go." Gale said and patting Jaune on the shoulder. "

"Uh.. thanks. Jaune thanked Gale, feeling a bit better there is another person who seems to

"No need to thank me. Just giving ya a hand when you needed it." Gale replied and started walking around him towards the Ballroom. He looked back at Jaune who stood there.

"Wanna tag along and have a little chat before we get some shut eye?" He asked with a smile on his face.

Jaune was hesitant for a second but then nodded in agreement. "Sure… why not?"

"Good." Gale responded and started walking with Jaune right next to him. Before he got next to him, Jaune saw Gale's tattoo on his back and was awed by the decorative tattoo that looks like a head of an elephant that's on his back.

"Woah…" Jaune said impressed. Gale took notice of Jaune staring at his tattoo.

"Oh so took notice of my tattoo?" Gale asked Jaune.

"Seeing that it makes up most of your back, can't see why I wouldn't notice it." Jaune jokes.

"Well it's my pride and symbolizes my efforts from training that brought to where I am now." Gale said.

"Woah. You trained and got a build like that and earned that awesome tattoo?" Jauned asked in awe.

"Yep." Gale answered with pride. "Trained in the tropical jungles of Sanus that gave me this rock hard bod and insane fighting skills.

"Wow." Jaune said in awe. His eyes were sparkling, like he was wishing he was as awesome as this guy he just met.

"Indeed, wow." Gale agreed. "So what about you? Got anything special that brought you to this academy?"

Hearing that made Jaune realize what Gale asked him but frowned for a second and tried to think of something that he

"_Crap… I really don't have anything to think of that brought me here… and I can't tell him the exact reason how I got here…." _Jaune thought in slight dread but still managed to keep his composure and gives his own smirk.

"Well, let's just say I've come from a long line of legendary warriors with some of the best swordsman skills Remnant has to offer for generations." He boasted.

Gale liked the sound of that and smirked. "Well good for you!" He approved and patted him on the back… a little too hard that Jaune lurched forward and almost lost his balance. "I like meeting strong and skilled people so I shall wish you luck at the initiation!"

"Yeah.. thanks." Jaune said and appreciated Gale's being considerate with him…. But it still hurts him on the inside of what he knows and nobody else does.

"So.. what's your name anyways? Forgot to ask you that." Gale said and wondered what Jaune's name was.

"Oh. It's Jaune… of the Arc family." He answered. "Here to become a strong and great Huntsman."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Jaune. My name's Gale Hathi and I'm also here to become a huntsman too!"

Both boys laughed together as they headed off to the

However, what they didn't know they were being followed by someone else, but not intentionally.

Behind them is Nigel Arvo who was listening on the conversation… and reading their aura.

Nigel's choice of night attire is a simple tank top and simple sports shorts which shows off his muscular legs and his tattoos. His thick muscular tail hangs comfortably out from a specifically made hole in the back of his pants that are designed for faunus with tails.

He senses Gale's aura… and he can sense a very strong and powerful aura. He can tell this guy has been training for a long time and has been in a lot of battles.

But the blonde boy. The one named Jaune Arc… Nigel still senses no aura on him and he also briefly sensed him feeling nervous, based on a certain question Gale asked him.

He narrows his eyes at Jaune… something about him doesn't seem right… his lack of aura and feeling nervous seems like he doesn't seem fit for a huntsman in training…. but Nigel isn't saying another word and just carries on through the hall. He needs his beauty sleep and he's got a big day tomorrow.

* * *

**5 minutes later. The Ballroom.**

Inside the ballroom, the entire dance floor is covered in many sleeping bags where all the new students are sleeping for the night in their sleeping bags or air mattresses.

The room has been divided in two different sides; one side for the boys and the other side for the girls.

Entering the Ballroom is Gale and Jaune who were still chatting amongst each other, already bonding a little bit.

"No way! You defeated a Grimm with your bare hands, without aura, even?!" Jaune said in complete awe and surprise.

"Well, it wasn't really that strong of a Grimm." Gale admitted. "It just that I didn't have my weapons and that I was partially drained and weakened by it before I could fight it head on. Not to mention it kept trying to make me fall asleep and it nearly killed me."

"Oh… fair enough." Jaune admitted but still thinks it's awesome.

"Well, as much as I like hanging out with ya, I need to get some shut eye." Gale says and heads towards his sleeping bag

Somewhere on the girls side, Ruby, in her own pajamas and sleeping mask, is writing down in her diary/journal about her current situation in Beacon to her friends back at Signal.

Than Yang crashes in.

"It's like a biiiig slumber party!" The blonde cheerfully announced, landing next to Ruby in her own sleeping bag. Though, unlike Ruby's pajamas that are more modest… Yang's pajamas are a little less so, in nothing but black boy shorts and an orange tank top with her emblem on it…

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys, though." Ruby deadpanned at Yang, being aware how much Yang enjoys watching all the boys who mostly are either mucking about, showing off, or even rough housing with each other… and a good number of them are shirtless.

"I know _I _do~" Yang purred and was staring at the eyecandy she's enjoying.

That's when she noticed Gale when he got into her field of vision.

Unlike earlier today, she can now see him shirtless… and now he's got her full attention on him.

Compared to the other boys, he easily towers over most of them and is slightly more muscular and well built than they are. He's still wearing his tattered hakama pants but he's now completely barefoot, after removing his foot wraps.

Unlike the other boys, Gale doesn't show off his looks and asserts himself as dominant. He just simply walks past the other boys and doesn't even bat an eye towards them. Though, some of the other boys were pretty intimidated towards him since he's taller than them and his scars tell possible stories of his past battles that he endured and survived.

Though, she can't help but stare at the biggest and most noticeable scar, located on the side of his abdomen which looks like a bite mark belonging to a giant lamprey.

Gale's hair is still pretty wet from his shower which made his orange hair look a little more shiny and they look good with his turquoise colored eyes.

Gale rounded a few sleeping bags in his path, which made him turn far enough for Yang to see the elephant tattoo painted across his back is on full display.

Yang couldn't help but blush, as her cheeks turned a little red and she kept staring at Gale… that was until her moment of enjoying the view was ruined when Jaune walks in her field of vision, humming a tune.

Jaune suddenly turned his head smirked at Yang, as if trying to impress her… not even close.

Yang wasn't impressed and groaned having her moment now ruined by the sight of Jaune looking so lame.

After a short conversation of Ruby telling Yang about writing in her journal to her friends back in Signal, Yang teasing her about it which caused Ruby to throw a pillow at her face, twice, and Yang telling and assuring Ruby she'll find some new friends in this academy, they were distracted by a glowing light nearby.

Laying against the wall and next to a lit candle to brighten up the room a little is Adam and Blake… quietly reading their books.

The two are wearing their own pajamas which are yukata styled. Blake's is a primarily black with white edging, with a purple undershirt, and a black obi tied by white string. Adam's version is pure white with blue edgings and a blue sash that's wrapped around his waist.

Thing is, Blake is still wearing her bow and Adam is still wearing his mask, still hiding their secrets from the rest of the academy.

Adam found it wise to shower early before anyone else followed, and he decided to go into a seperate shower stall that houses only one person, so he was able to shower and clean himself with his mask off without getting seen by anyone else. Blake also did something similar so nobody would catch her faunus heritage hidden beneath her bow.

"Those two…" Ruby whispered, instantly recognizing them.

"You know them?" Yang asked, feeling surprised and curious to already finding out her sister seems to know somebody and it was less than a day.

"Well, the girl with the bow, not really. The boy with the mask, his name is Adam. They saw what happened this morning, but the girl left before I could say anything. Adam stayed and we kinda got to know each other for a bit, along with Jaune."

"Well, now's your chance to meet the bow girl!" Yang announced and grabbed Ruby by the wrist and drags her towards the bookworm duo.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?!" Ruby shrieked of Yang being very eager to meet these two and bringing Ruby along with her.

Ruby struggled to break free but, knowing this is her sister, she knows struggling is futile against her physically superior sister… and yet she still tries to break free.

The strained grunts from Ruby caught both Adam and Blake's attention, as they look up from their books and see Yang coming towards them, with Ruby in tow, and giving off a huge grin on her face like she's happy to see them.

Despite not knowing who this blonde girl is, Adam instantly recognized Ruby and has to assume this blonde girl is really close to Ruby, likely her sister, to his assumption.

"Helooooo~" Yang announced in a sing song tone and with a big smile on her face. "I believe you guys know each other."

Ruby had her back turned and arms crossed, pouting for being taken here without her consent.

"Isn't she the girl that exploded?" Blake asked Adam who looked at her.

"Well, when you put it that way, it pretty much is her." Adam answered.

"Uhh, yeah!" Ruby agreed. She stretched her hand out to greet Blake since she already knows Adam. "My name's Ruby."

Blake didn't respond and kept her eyes on the book which Adam noticed since he was willing to put his book down and join the conversation.

"Okay…." Blake replied but didn't sound interested.

Ruby and Yang were a little confused and didn't know how to respond to that.

"You'll have to forgive her." Adam spoke up which caught Ruby and Yang's attention. "She's a little obsessed with her books that she's barely aware of her surroundings, once she gets nose deep into her reading."

Blake actually heard that and looked more or less unamused by what Adam just said.

"I heard that, Adam." Blake announced, annoyed, which made Adam chuckle.

He can't blame her, though. She LOVES to read books and will read them at any given chance in her free time.

As for Adam, while he's not obsessed with books as much as Blake is, he is willing to read a book or two, if he has enough free time and if he finds a book that suits his interest.

"So… what's your name?" Ruby asked, trying to change the topic.

Blake sighed and looked at Ruby with a bored expression but answers anyways. "Blake."

"And I'm Adam Taurus." Adam said, saying his name since Yang is with Ruby and he decides to say his name to her.

"Well, Blake and Yang, I'm Yang! Ruby's older sister!"

Adam raised an eyebrow beneath his mask, trying to find any similarities between Ruby and Yang that they are sisters… none that he can see at least. The only other thing that could make them siblings is that they could be half siblings.

"I like your bow, Blake! And your mask too, Adam! It's looks so cool!" Yang complimented to the two bookworms..

"Thanks." Blake said but she sounded like she so wanted to get back to her reading asap.

"Why thank you." Adam politely taking that as a compliment.

"They go great with your… pajamas!" Yang also said which is now starting to get awkward to Blake but Adam doesn't bat an eye and finds this rather amusing.

"Right…." Blake answered, sounding rather uninterested and bored with the two siblings trying to talk with her.

Ruby and Yang looked at each other sheepishly and wonder what else they could say to make Blake speak to them more properly.

"Nice night, don't you think?" Yang said again.

"It is, indeed. I find this night one of the most pleasant in quite a while." Adam answered but, Blake had something else to say, as she looked at Ruby and Yang in the eyes.

"Yes. It's lovely. Almost as lovely as this book…"

Ruby and Yang stared in silence.

"That I will continue to read…."

Ruby and Yang still stared in silence.

"As soon as you leave."

"You're making this harder than it should be, Blake." Adam sternly deadpanned at his bow wearing friend but she doesn't bat an eye.

"Yeah. This girl's a lost cause." Yang starting to consider Blake ain't really worth talking to.

Despite being seen as hopeless that Blake may not show any interest towards the two girls, Ruby suddenly had an idea that may actually get Blake's attention.

"What's it about?"

"Huh?" Blake turned her eyes back from her book and looked at Ruby who caught her attention this time.

"Your book. Does it have a name?" Ruby calmly asking Blake.

She already started to realize the best way to talk with someone is discussing about a topic they both like so this may help her talk with Blake better.

Blake was actually surprised to actually hear someone else, besides Adam, to also like books.

Adam was curious how this may go and listened.

"Well. It's about a man with two souls, both fighting for control over his body." Blake replied about the summary of the story that she really likes at the moment.

Blake has rarely found other people, besides Adam, to find any interest in books, as most would either play video games or watch online videos on their scrolls. She actually feels a bit happy she sees someone else also having the same interest as her.

"Oh yeah… that's really lovely." Said Yang who tried to sound interested but really wasn't. She preferred fighting video games, action packed comic books with colorful panels, and action packed movies, over simple books with texts and no pictures

"And what about your book, Adam? What's your book about?" Ruby turned her attention to Adam and wondered what the summary of the book he's reading.

Adam wasn't counting on Ruby asking him the same kind of question towards him after Blake.

"It's… a rather complex story but quite interesting, really." Adam says and begins to summarize the book he got from the library.

"I haven't gone very far into it but I'll say the summary; It's about the story of a young but noble warrior who lost his home and family to a dark and malevolent force of evil. The warrior traveled the world to train and grow stronger, in order to face that ultimate evil… but before he could land the final strike, he was sent into the future and now must find his way back home, while fighting and adapting to what the future throws at him."

Just saying the summary makes it feel so deep to Adam about this character is going through, to an extent.

"And.. that's very lovely too." Yang said but sounded just as unenthusiastic as she did to Blake's book.

Ruby steps forward with a smile, since she found these two liking stories like she does.

"I love books." She says softly. "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… they're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

"Why is that?" Blake asked. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will." Ruby answered. "As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books. Someone who fought for what was right, and who protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

Hearing Ruby's reason to why exactly she wanted to be a huntsman… was actually really admirable to Blake and Adam which has made Ruby earn their respect, more so for Adam due to knowing her more than Blake.

"That's very ambitious for a child." Says Blake who smiles and liking Ruby's sense of justice and admiring heroes from fairy tails which originate from books that she reads from too.

But then she frowns as she realizes the stories involved with real life that she needs to remind to Ruby how fantasy is different from the world they live in.

"Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale." Blake had to sadly point out, despite how much of a sad fact that is. Adam too is aware of what Blake means by that and adds his words that are fact.

"And what makes it even sadder is that when many of us start out young and new to life, we feel ambitious and grounded with the fairy tales and pieces of fiction we admire that it makes us believe they are possible and there are no worries or consequences to deal with…."

Adam was silent for a few seconds and frowned even more. "Only to realize, as we've grown older and more aware of our surroundings and to ourselves, most of us start to eventually realize and accept that fiction and reality are two separate things don't co-exist together, as Blake had mentioned."

Adam slowly looked at Ruby in the eyes. Despite his mask, Ruby can tell he's serious.

"Sometimes… not everyone's fantasy becomes true… and not everyone gets their happy ending, Ruby." He calmly said. "We have to accept that reality is the norm of our existence."

Both Ruby and Yang were stunned and silent hearing what Adam just said is pretty much true that reality isn't really the same as in fiction, as Blake as said herself and Adam mentioned how kids that grow into adults eventually have to accept their reality.

"Well." Ruby finally spoke up, being aware of what Adam says may be true. "That's why we're here… to make it better."

Despite the truth from what Adam has said, Ruby was not deterred and

This made Adam smile and considers Ruby never ceases to impress him with her determination of staying to her beliefs of being a huntress.

"Well…. there is one thing I forgot to mention." Adam said and clears his throat. "Even if we've come to accept the reality that we live in… it doesn't mean we shouldn't stop believing in ourselves and and remembering the stories and fairy tales we've grown up with…. they help us move forward."

Even Blake was smiling, she has heard Adam say these kinds of speeches before and that's why she's so close to him; he's a noble and righteous young man who's trying to make the world a better place.

Adam can still recall meeting Ruby earlier this morning and learning about her. She's not like many other girls at her age, especially that she has a very big obsession with weapons that she fangirls over like a child in a candy store.

The way she speaks with others, such as Jaune and himself earlier, she speaks like a little honest soul with a gentle voice when she's not fangirling or being excited.

But Adam have noticed something interesting, since he met her.

It's those Silver eyes of hers. He doesn't know why but something about them makes her special in some way….

"Ohhh! I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang cheerfully says, as she grabs her baby sister in a hug and hoists her off the ground and keeps hugging her. Ruby was not happy about this and feels like she's being treated like a baby yet again and it's getting on her nerves.

"CUT IT OUT!" She yelled and started to punch her sister which caused the two to end up fighting in a cartoonish fashion that there is now a fight cloud and their limbs are seen flailing around. That is…. Adam noticed there is another set of arms and legs that don't belong neither to Ruby or Yang, because they are muscular and the legs are also wearing a different pair of pajama pants.

"Well, Ruby, Yang… it's a pleasure to-" Blake was about to thank her two new acquaintances but she stopped couldn't say another word.

Standing in the tangled ball of human beings that was supposed to be just Ruby and Yang… there's Rocky Rhode Runner.

He's wearing a simple black t-shirt but it has a cartoony print of some kind of cartoony mouse that's being chased by a cartoon cat that's about to smash the mouse with a cartoony mallet. He's also wearing a simple pair of pajama pants but they are printed with cartoon bombs on them.

But most interestingly, it's his hair. Instead of being in his more familiar mohawk style, it's now just hair in it's natural state where it's scruffy and limps downwards.

"Ah! Rocky?! Where did you come from?!" Ruby shrieked in fright of now realizing Rocky is caught in the middle between hers and Yang's sibling scuffle.

"I don't know!" Rocky shouted and sounded just as confused. "One moment, after taking a nice hot shower and putting my PJs on, I was getting ready to enter the ballroom, the next moment I'm suddenly caught in this big ball of violence between you two and now I am wondering how I got here in the first place!"

But then it gets more chaotic as Weiss enters. Wearing nothing but a faded blue nightgown with white trim and her emblem on it, along with her hair being undone and down which reaches to her back.

The heiress heard the commotion and marched over to know what is going on that's keeping her up.

"What in the world is going on over here?!" She demanded, already tired and wants to get some shut eye but she can't with all the noise that keeps her up. "Can't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?!"

That's when she turned and noticed Ruby, Yang… and Rocky who sheepishly grins and casually greets her by wiggling his fingers.

"Hi."

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN?!" Both Weiss and Yang shouted when they realized who they see in front of them, but especially Weiss since she now sees three people she doesn't like from the start.

"Shhh!" Ruby shushed, trying to bring it down to not disturb everyone. Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, now you're on my side." Weiss sarcastically retorted at Ruby, still not liking her.

"I was always on your side!" Ruby snapped back, already getting tired with Weiss' cold hearted attitude again.

Blake and Adam stared in silence and rolled their eyes, knowing they aren't gonna be reading in peace.

Adam puts a bookmark that has a blue rose on it in his book to remember which page he's on for another time to read. "I think that's enough for tonight. I'm gonna get some sleep."

"I concur." Blake agrees and grabs the nearby candles as she prepares to blow them out.

"Yeah! What's your problem with my sister?!" Yang shouts at Weiss, now joining the argument and is especially mad she's being mean to her little sister. "She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss ranted, giving a rather absurd excuse to why she's angry with Ruby.

"AND I AM NOW YELLING ABOUT THINGS!" Rocky screamed for no reason but calmed down at the drop of a hat. "Okay, I guess we're done now."

"And you!" Weiss now turned her attention to Rocky and pointed a finger at him so closely that it was poking the tip of his nose. Adam and Blake swore they heard what sounded like a honking sound like that of a clown's the moment Weiss' finger poked the tip of Rocky's nose.

"Now you're just babbling complete nonsense that it's even more of a hazard to my health!" Weiss ranted at Rocky who didn't break his stride and just smugly smiled at her.

"Well, what can I say, Ice Queen?" Rocky teased, sounding like he's not even trying to hide it and grinning at her. "That's just in my nature and you should appreciate the special talents of others."

Weiss narrowed her eyes that she was glaring ice cold daggers into his soul.

"You know." The roadrunner faunus said. "You do look kinda cute when you're angry."

Despite sounding so charming about it, Rocky was more like trying to mess with Weiss and see how her reaction would be, for his own amusement.

And much to his predicament, Weiss' face showed an expression of shock, as her face turned red as a tomato. Her eye twitched in irritation and she looked like she was gonna blow a fuse.

That was enough for Blake and Adam dealing with the chaos, as Blake blew out the candle and headed to their sleeping bags, leaving behind the three humans and roadrunner faunus behind.

Thing is, despite the boys and girls being separated, Adam and Blake's sleeping bags were the closest so they were able to talk to each other.

"Well, I think that's enough for tonight, especially meeting new people." Adam said and prepares to go to sleep in his sleeping bag.

"Yeah." Blake agrees. "That sure was something alright and now I need my beauty sleep."

As the two young faunus teens prepared to go to sleep, they still kept their respective accessories on, regardless how uncomfortable it may be to possibly sleep with a bow or a mask on.

Even if that were true, Adam and Blake aren't gonna let their secrets be exposed… at least for the time being.

As the two were laid in their bags and stared at the chandelier riddled ceiling, Adam had something on his mind.

"Blake…."" Adam softly and quietly said that it felt strong.

"What is it, Adam?" Blake asked, turning her attention back to Adam once again.

"Do you think it would be best... if you should chat more often with other people here and maybe even befriend them?" Adam asked.

As much as Adam cares for Blake and knows her boundaries, he also knows she can't stay in her shell forever from others that doesn't involve himself otherwise.

"I know we've talked about this already, even before we came to this academy."

Blake knew what Adam is talking about.

"There's a chance we may or may not be on the same team after the Initiation." She simply said that was the obvious answer

"Yes." Adam replied. "And once the teams are decided and are official, we are with our future team members for 4 years straight, together or not."

Blake didn't say a word and looked at Adam. Despite him still wearing the mask that hides his eyes, she can still tell he's serious.

"But even if we aren't on the same team, you and I will always have each other's backs. Right Blake?

Blake heard that clear as crystal and she knew he really means it.

It's just that she and Adam have known each other for quite a long time and they've worked and fought together many times when they were in the White Fang. Heck, they even laughed, cried,

Neither are really a concern of the two, because they know they are willing to go that way.

Ultimately, they know they will always have each others backs, as Adam trusts Blake that she can handle things on her own and take care of herself. Same goes for Blake, knowing Adam can also take care of himself on his own… despite the many things he has endured in his life.

"Of course." Blake said, sounding like she's willing to go with that.

"Same for me." Adam also said, showing he'll support Blake no matter what.

"Well… good night, Adam." Blake said and goes to sleep.

"You too, Blake." Adam responded and also falls asleep… with his mask still on.

Elsewhere, Gale is already sleeping in his own sleeping bag. Nigel wasn't too far away but he slept in a corner the furthest away and he was simply using his semblance to read everyone's emotions one more time before falling asleep.

As for Rocky, he, Weiss, Ruby, and Yang broke it off and decided it's best to get some sleep as well.

So Rocky was carrying his own sleeping bag and was looking for a spot to sleep.

"Alright then." Rocky calmy yawned, trying to find an open spot to lay down his sleeping bag to sleep for the night.

"Now….. where shall I sleep for the night?"

As on cue, nearly a fourth of all the girls in the entire ballroom launched up from their sleeping spots and were cheerfully shouting towards Rocky as if they are so happy to see him ... which they are.

What's worse. Rocky instantly recognized most of them are the same girls he encountered earlier today… and now he meets them yet again.

"Yoohoo!" Shouted one girl, waving her hand at Rocky!

"Over here!" Shouted another!

"Come sleep close to me!" Yelled another.

"Tell me a bedtime story!" Hollored one girl that made Rocky sweatdrop.

"I want to smell your sleeping bag!" Screamed yet another but this one made Rocky feel extremely nervous what she just said….

But that's not the only thing he needs to worry about because Rocky felt a presence behind him… no... dozens of them.

Rocky looked over his shoulder and staring down at him are at least a dozen shirtless boys, humans and faunus alike, seemed to be glaring daggers at him. is confused as to why these guys are giving him such death glares when he hasn't even done anything to them….. and then he realized it.

Those guys are jealous of Rocky somehow getting the girls attention without even doing anything…. well, technically, more like becoming a popular icon online due to his crazy breakdancing but STILL.

The glares of the guys and the adoring yelling of the girls were starting to surround him… and now he's getting some dreaded flashbacks of getting surrounded by massive crowds of fans that are swarming him yet again….

That was until the door that leads into the ballroom burst open.

"What in all of Remnant is going on in here?!" Shouted a familiar voice that everyone knew who that belonged to and they all turned their heads in to that direction.

It's Glynda Goodwitch… and she's not happy. NOT. HAPPY.

Like everyone else, she too was in her own pajamas which is actually a purple, silken, night robe which covers up most of her figure but it hugs her body tightly that it shows off her curves easily. She just got out of the shower so her hair is wet and down which glistens underneath the chandelier lights.

She looked around and sees the whole commotion and narrows her eyes at pretty much everyone but especially Rocky standing in the center of it all.

"Uh… I can explain." Rocky said in a rather casual monotone.

* * *

**45 minutes later**

And so, after everything was explained by Rocky, Glynda was trying her best to believe but she wants to sleep and was very tired since the initiation is tomorrow so she just goes with it.

As for Rocky, much to her surprise, he announces he doesn't want to sleep in the ballroom since he got a dreaded experience of being surrounded by so many people that got too close to him.

Glynda ultimately decided to take Rocky out of the ballroom and sleep elsewhere, but not before giving all the other teens in the ballroom a warning of making such a loud racket and threatened to kick them out before they even have begun their initiation if they make another racket.

That is… WHERE should he sleep? Obviously not outside because that's inhumane and he's not sleeping in the classrooms, the library, cafeteria, or even the gymnasium and other places that's gonna be used for the students and she plans

She's thinking of letting a professor temporarily share their respective rooms with Rocky for tonight… and one professor is definitely not gonna be her. Same for Ozpin as he's the headmaster.

She tried seeking the other professors and staff of the academy; Port, Oobleck, Peach, Shroud, Athenaeum, League... but all of them either refused for their own reasons or just didn't like the idea of having a student in their rooms.

Well… there is ONE more staff member that Glynda knows and _he _shall do.

"ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS!"

Shouted an extremely annoyed and cranky voice that echoed in the apartment sized room…. that had to be shared for tonight….

It was Nevin's room… and he's NOT HAPPY..

The Custodian was laying in his bed, in his pajamas, night cap included, but he's wide awake and staring straight up at the ceiling, still spouting his rants. He's never felt so appalled in his life, forced to share his quarters with someone he just met and doesn't even personally know?!

As for Rocky, he's in his sleeping bag, on the other side of the room, in a corner, also wide awake because he can hear

As for Rocky, he too isn't happy in the slightest either. He doesn't really like co-bunking with a custodian which is weird that he would rather sleep outside than here but he didn't have much of a choice, further backed up by Glynda basically ordering Nevins to share his quarters with Rocky because they have a big day tomorrow and they can't argue or find another solution any further.

And so, Nevin begrudgingly agreed to Glynda he shall share his quarters with Rocky for tonight but that doesn't mean he's gonna like it, not even close.

"Asking a senior custodian to share his quarters?!" He ranted, still rather pissed he has to do this "And with an unofficial huntsman-in-training no less?!"

Rocky rolled his eyes in annoyance, realizing he's not gonna get any shut eye soon with this cranky old geezer of a custodian spouting nonstop that he could even wake up the whole academy if he keeps running his mouth.

"Why, back in my days, I never-" Nevin was about to say but Rocky turned his head over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Rocky snapped, interrupting the custodian, finally being fed up with him. He glared at Nevin in the eyes who glared back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You weren't exactly MY first choice either." Rocky said sternly, Like he didn't have much of a choice and is trying to go with it the best way he could but even he's reaching the limit of tolerating this old man.

The scenery now changes that takes place outside the quarters and outside of Beacon.

"And keep it down, will ya?" Rocky also added, needing his sleep. "I can hear you all the way from my side of the floor."

"_YOUR_ SIDE OF THE FLOOR?!" Nevin shouted at the top of his lungs, flabbergasted, from what he just heard. "The WHOLE floor is MY side of the FLOOR!" He yelled.

"Just-" Rocky snapped back but suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.. And smelled a rather putrid scent that made him gag and plug his nose.

"What's that smell?! Did you just cut the cheese?!" Rocky yelled and gagged.

"... It's absolutely outrageous ..." The custodian grumbled yet again.

And so, the academy goes silent as everyone finally falls asleep, as the broken moon drifts overhead and the crickets keep chirping in the silent night.

* * *

**The next morning.**

Hours have passed and the sun had already risen over the horizon and begins ascending upwards, already giving off its warm glow to the land of Vale.

Many students have started to wake up and started preparing for the initiation by many steps.

One of them is still asleep in his sleeping bag, all snug and warm.

Taking place inside Nevin's quarters is a young soul that's still sleeping in that corner.

It's Rocky who's peacefully snoozing in his sleeping bag.

He started to shift around a bit but remained deep in his slumber because he was having a dream… well, a really good dream he doesn't want to wake up from.

If one were to look into his dreams, they would see his vision in his dreamscape takes the shape of an outdoor pool with a splendid view of the ocean in the distance. Laying on a floatie in the shape of a cartoonish black duck is Rocky Rhode Runner who's wearing some sun shades and was drinking a glass of cherry soda with a little umbrella in it.

The whole pool that he's in is filled to the brim with all kinds of cute and beautiful girls, human and faunus alike, in bikinis.

While they all varied in different shapes and sizes but most of them were very bottom heavy.

Heck, most of them resembled many of the girls he met in the past, including Pixie and Dixie. Even that Squirrel faunus dancer.

Just then, as Rocky was really having a swell time his dream, a pair of legs suddenly walked over to Rocky and are now standing inches away from him.

Rocky still remained asleep but was stirring and squirmed around a bit…. And he reached out to the foot which is a boot and wrapped his hands around it, which, in his dreams, is a squirrel faunus that resembles that dancer he saw back at the Raving Dragon.

"Hmmm…. One at a time… ladies… one at a time…" He cooed, now slowly leaning his head towards the squirrel faunus/boot.

"You'll all get your turn with me… Starting with you." Rocky softly spoke before making a kissy face and making kissing sounds with his lips, as if he's about to kiss the squirrel faunus….. only to end up kissing the boot.

"AHEM."

Rocky heard a very familiar noise that fully woke him up.

With his eyes wide open and is aware of that, Rocky slowly looks down and sees his lips kissing the boot… and slowly turns his sight up and finds out this boot belongs to none other than Nevin whom is glaring down at him with a rather grouchy and annoyed glare.

There was an awkward silence as the faunus and human stared at each other.

Until Rocky's brain managed to compute and told him to stop kissing the boot since it was gross and very awkward.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Rocky screamed at the top of his lungs, letting go of Nevin's foot, and leaping so high into the air that his head hit the ceiling and fell back to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

He starts spitting and gagging of kissing a boot that likely has been in places he doesn't want to know. He even grabbed a random brush out of nowhere and brushed his tongue like he was trying to get every germ off of it than washes it down with mouth wash and spits the liquid into a nearby can that made a "Ding" sound.

"Oh man… and I was just having such an awesome dream until it got ruined…." Rocky lamented but was now wide awake and started stretching his stiff muscles.

"So… are you gonna sit there on your arse all day or are you gonna get up and prepare for your initiation?" Nevin asked with a raised eyebrow and sounded rather serious. "And it better be the latter because I don't have time to babysit you when I have my own priorities to attend to."

That's when Rocky started to wonder.

"Come to think of that. What time is it?" He asked as he looked at his scroll.. and noticed he's partly slept in and only got an hour and a half to spare until the initiation starts for real!

"Oh jeez louise!" The teen spouted in complete shock in horror as his eyes bulged to the size of dinner plates and his tongue stretched out. "Would you look at the time! The initiation will start pretty soon! And I haven't even had any breakfast or taken a shower yet!"

He gathered all his things at such quick speeds that he appears to be a blur and sped out of the room.

"Anyways! Thanks for letting me stay! Okay! See ya! Bye!" Rocky says quickly and was now gone.

Nevin stares at the exit where Rocky left for several more seconds until he softly sighs.

"...I'm getting too old for this rubbish." Nevin said and goes on with his daily routine.

* * *

Many of the other students were already up and about, already getting prepared for the initiation they have been waiting for.

That is, there are still a few more who are soundly asleep and need to get up soon.

But even they need to get up and get ready.

Among them is Nigel who just woke up and he still has plenty of time to get ready so he ain't rushing things.

After stretching and yawning from his slumber, he activates his semblance again and scans his surroundings and senses most of the students are still asleep. Their aura is very dim and calm, almost like a tiny candle light.

However, he sensed a more energetic and active aura not too far away and it takes the color of pink.

It's a girl with turquoise eyes that are a slightly lighter shade than Gale's and short reddish-orange hair that's a slightly darker shade than Gale's lighter shade.

She's wearing a white shirt with a heart shaped cutout on the chest, a black vest, different layers of clothing, a mid thigh pink skirt, black fingerless gloves, pink and white mixed shoes and pieces of armor around her neck, shoulders, and waist. Her emblem looks like a hammer with a thunderbolt, located on the back of her vest in pink.

Nigel can sense a lot of hyperactive enthusiasm from her and her aura is flaring like a wildfire that's out of control, showing how lively and energetic she is.

She's looming over another student who's a boy and he's already started to flutter his eyes open.

"Wake up, lazy bud!" She happily sang to the young man and zipped out of his sight as the boy rises up and sighs.

He's a young teen boy with magenta eyes and long black hair, with a magenta streak, tied in a ponytail. He's wearing a dark green tailcoat, diagonally buttoned, with pink cuffs, and black and gold trimming. He also wears light tan pants, black shoes, and his emblem is a pink lotus flower.

The kangaroo faunus senses a lot of calmness and intense focus, coming from the boy. His aura, also colored pink but at a slighter darker shade, was more calm and steady, like a gentle stream flowing down a slope.

Here, we have this interesting duo named Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. These two are inseparable and have been with each other since childhood, currently living close together and they too, like everyone else, are here for the initiation.

As Ren was groggily getting up and starting the day, Nora was darting all over the place like a child that's loaded on too much sugar.

"It's morning! It's morning! _It's morning!" _Nora sang around Ren who sighed, as if he's used to her hyperactive antics many times in his life that he sees it as nothing new him.

Nigel watched in slight curiosity, as he sensed and the two teens aura. He seems to sense that Nora, as hyperactive and giddy as she appears, he senses she has a lot of affection aimed towards Ren. As for Ren, he mostly senses a lot of calmness and focus, he can't help but sense a much deeper emotion within Ren…. it seems he too shows a bit of interest towards Nora but Nigel can tell he ain't showing it on the outside.

It's almost similar… to how Jackal and Serpent showed their affection to one another but hid it from the rest of the world.

But now's the time to worry about the preparation for the initiation as Nigel and all the other students, Nora and Ren included.

As the rest begin to get up, most have already begun entering the locker rooms to take their showers.

Though, throughout the whole morning, Nora kept talking on and on about her and Ren's friendship and keeps slipping in the mention they are not _together _together and are just friends… NIgel ain't buying that because their emotions don't lie and he can read them like an open book. But, out of respect to their friendship, he's keeping it to himself.

As the ballroom was cleaned up, the students then got dressed into their respective outfits and headed to the cafeteria to fill their stomachs.

The lunch lady and her co-workers were already making breakfast and serving to the students. A well balanced breakfast will help them feel energized for the initiation.

What's served for the morning are pancakes with butter and syrup, waffles, all kinds of cereal that goes with milk, hash browns, bacon, scrambled eggs, bagels, all kinds of fruit, etc. It was like a buffet for everyone.

Within the crowd of students eating, in the center was Gale who had a large plate stacked with five pancakes with butter and syrup, along with a large glass of milk and a bowl of all kinds of fruit, including bananas.

Gale was scarfing down the pancakes… because he hasn't had tasted them for a long time. His grandfather used to make him pancakes a lot when he was alive… but when he passed away, Gale also missed his grandfather's cooking of making all kinds of delicious cuisines, especially pancakes.

Ever since his grandfather passed away, Gale can barely know how to cook. The best he can do is cook food over a fire and whatever he can find in the jungles of Sanus that's edible and safe to eat. But now that he's in society like Vale, he can now enjoy all kinds of cuisines.

"Just… woah." Jaune said in complete surprise at how much this guy is eating just for breakfast. He was having his own breakfast which is a cereal brand called Pumpkin Pete's.

"Where in all of Remnant does all that food go in you?!" He asked in complete shock.

"Well, let's just say I got a huge appetite and a very high metabolism so I tend to eat large quantities of food but still get enough exercise and training to balance all that out." Gale said sounding like it's a normal conversation.

He's not completely wrong, as it likely has to do with his semblance that possibly makes him part elephant faunus. Also Sanus elephants are known to eat a lot to keep their bodies going so Gale himself needs plenty of food as well, even if it seemingly looks too much for him.

Elsewhere, Adam and Blake were seen eating together but it's just them at a single table for two people, rather than a bigger group. Both were silent and just ate their breakfast.

Adam was eating french toast, along with orange slices and grape jelly covered toast. Blake was having some baked salmon mixed with scrambled eggs, along with some toast covered in raspberry jelly.

The two never said a word and just decided to enjoy their breakfast in silence.

Ruby and Yang were also eating together… except Ruby was already scarfing down the cereal and Yang was about to fill her own bowl with cereal… only to realize the box is empty. She slowly glares at Ruby who was grinning at her.

"The early bird gets the cereal-" Ruby mocked Yang but the brawler tackled her younger sister to the floor. Ruby quickly screamed in panic and grabs her bowl to get away from Yang, only for Yang to grab the spoon that had cereal on it and gets her bite… only for Ruby to dump the rest of her own cereal into her mouth before Yang could get anymore.

Nora was still talking to Ren, while having a whole pancake in her mouth which she slurps it up like spaghetti while Ren was cutting his own pancakes into smaller bite sized pieces.

Rocky stormed into the cafeteria, after taking a quick shower and sees the lunchroom is nearly full. However… much to his misfortune, he slips on a banana peel that was conventiely on the floor and in Rocky's path, stepping on it without looking where he's going.

"WAAAAAHHHHH!" Rocky shouted in complete surprise, flipping in midair and falling down onto his head and crashed to the ground.

Nearly everyone that heard the commotion turned their attention to Rocky who was sprawled on the floor, completely dazed, with chibi Nevermores flying around his head.

"What a way to start the day…." Rocky groaned.

* * *

**Locker Room**

Later on, after their breakfast, most of the students went to their locker rooms to retrieve their weapons they stuffed in the lockers they were designated to last night before going to sleep.

"I know!" Nora suddenly announced towards Ren, like she has an idea, despite one earlier idea was about bribing the headmaster which won't work. "We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" She gasps as if she has an idea. "A secret signal so we can find each other in the Emerald Forest!"

She then gets close to Ren. "Can you imitate a sloth?" She asked a question that was rather morbid to the topic.

"Nora." Ren calmly said, alerting Nora.

"Yes, Ren." Nora replied, wondering what .

Ren held his weapons, Storm Flower, which are a pair of automatic pistols with sickle blades right under the barrels, and hid them under his sleeves which are a pretty effective way to hide his weapons when not in use and can draw and use them much more quickly.

"I don't think sloths make a lot of noise." He says, unphased with Nora's antics.

"Well… they really don't make a lot of noise, in fact, at least not when mating season isn't active." Gale said, nearby, digging through his locker and putting his Turbine Gauntlets, Tempest and Gust, on. "Trust me, I've heard their mating calls back in the jungles of Sanus and they can be quite noisy."

Nora was silent for a second until she got excited and suddenly grinned.

"That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!" Nora cheered, liking the idea on how they can team up.

"Seems your friend remains as enthusiastic, no matter how much you correct her." Gale said to Ren who turned towards Nigel, noticing he's not the only stoic individual in the locker room

"When you put it that way, yes." Ren replied but Nigel sensed a bit of happiness coming from Ren when he said that. "Come on, Nora. Let's go." Ren told Nora and begins walking away.

"But not _together _together." Nora said and giggled, following Ren happily.

Meanwhile, Ruby, Yang, and Rocky, were at their respective lockers and were also getting themselves ready.

"Wonder what those two were so worked up about." Ruby said, referring to Nora and Ren.

"Beats me." Rocky replied. "Could be anything between them…. And I mean _anything_." He said with emphasis on the last word and goes back to putting bullets and dust tubes into his double barreled revolvers.

"Yeah. I agree with Rocky so who knows." Yang agrees with Rocky and turns her attention to Ruby. "So, sis! You seem awfully chipper this morning!"

"And I can make a guess what that would be." Rocky also said, already putting the ammo in and spinning the cylinder on his revolvers to make sure they are working.

"Yep!" Ruby confirmed. "No more awkward small talk or 'getting to know you' stuff." She reaches in and grabs Crescent Rose out of her locker, which is in inactive mode.

"Today I get to let my sweetheart to do all the talking." Ruby purred as she cuddles the weapon once more like it's her own teddy bear.

"If you're so close to your weapon, Ruby, why don't you take it out for steak dinner?" Rocky teased which made Yang snicker and Ruby looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, remember Ruby, you're not the only one going through the initiation. If you want to grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people, make new friends, and learn to work together." Yang also said, lecturing her sister who groaned in annoyance.

"Ugh! You sound like _Dad_!" Ruby growled, as she stuffs her weapon back into her locker and turns around to Yang with a scowl on her face.

"Okay, first of all what does meeting people and making friends have to do with fighting and killing Grimm?" Ruby said like she's doing a lecture.

"Oh I don't know." Rocky said that sounded a little sarcastic. "Perhaps so you could have backup and get your butt saved in case you are cornered or unable to fight any further."

"And secondly, I don't need people or friends to help me grow up! _I. Drink. Milk." _Ruby boasted with her arms crossed.

"Can't argue with that. It makes every other argument invalid." Rocky said again which sounded sarcastic yet again.

"But what about when we form teams?" Yang asked which made Ruby realize she didn't think of that.

"Uhm… I don't know… I'll just be on your team or something…" Ruby replied and hoped Yang would agree with her.

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team? I mean, Rocky is one of them and he seems to be a good teammate for you." Yang said, as she grabbed her hair from her shoulder and started stroking it.

However, that mae Ruby start to see Yang might not be her teammate which made her storm up to Yang and glare at her in the eye.

"My dearest sister Yang, are you implying that you don't wish to be on the same team as me?!" Ruby scolds to Yang who thinks her beloved big sister, Yang Xiao Long, doesn't want to be on the same team with her!

"Ho boy. Sibling squabbles, inbound!" Rocky hollored.

"What?! No!" Yang had her hands up, trying to not give Ruby the wrong idea. "Of course I do, I just thought that… I don't know, maybe it would be helpful you break out of your shell."

"What the-?!" Ruby said, completely baffled what she just heard. "I don't need to break out of my shell! That's absolutely-!"

"Ridiculous!" Shouted Jaune, who was walking through the locker room, with a piece of paper and looking for his designated locker.

"There's no way I put all of my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would have remembered to count that high! Ugh! Why does this have to happen today, especially to me?!" Jaune groaned, feeling like lady luck just isn't by his side yet again that he somehow ended up forgetting his locker number and is now trying to desperately look for it….

Then he realized he had lost his locker combination number to open his locker.

"Oh great! Now I lost my combination to my locker as well! Can't this get any worse!" Jaune shouted, starting to feel like the universe doesn't like him.

"Oi, you." Said a voice that was nearby. It caught Jaune's attention, since it was directed towards him.

Jaune's anger suddenly went out and turned his attention to someone that's leaning against the wall who had his head down which was shielded by his barma hat decorated with crocodile teeth

He couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated by this person… faunus in front of him, due to seeing his muscular kangaroo tail. But that wasn't what Jaune really focused on when he noticed his intense stare once he lifted his head and looked at Jaune.

"Uh…. hey there." Jaune sheepishly greeted. "Can I help you with something?" He asked nervously but Nigel didn't answer as he stared at him for several more seconds.

"Well, actually, it's the other way around, mate." Nigel answered. "Seems like you're having trouble remembering your locker and now you lost the combination to it."

"Yeah… thanks for bringing that up." Jaune groaned, not feeling like having chit chat with this guy which Nigel could sense and decides to fix that.

"Well, luckily for you, I may have a solution to that." Nigel said and holds up something between his index and middle finger… it's a piece of paper that shows Jaune's locker combination on it.

"Wait… how did you-?" Jaune said in complete shock before Nigel interrupted.

"You should check your pockets in case you don't want to lose something important or else you would be in a major pickle." Nigel states and flicks the piece of paper at Jaune who caught it by reflex.

"Also, don't worry. I didn't look at your combination and I have no interest in taking your stuff either."

This surprised Jaune once more he's being helped and supported by yet another person.

First Ruby and Adam, than Gale, and now this guy that's a kangaroo faunus who simply helped him.

"Hold on. Why are you helping me? We don't even know each other." Jaune pointed out.

"True. It may seem like I'm helping for you for no reason and that may raise suspicion that I'm possibly doing this for my own benefits… but I'm honestly not."

Jaune was silent when he heard that and Nigel's words were filled with honesty.

"Yous just looked like you weren't having much of an easy time." Nigel said. "I mean, I could've just ignored ya and went on my way to becoming a huntsman that all of us will become today, not giving a damn about you and your unfortunate bad luck here. But seeing yourself in a bind and losing something that makes things harder for you, I felt like yous deserve an easier route for the time being." Nigel said and continued.

"Though, I advise you to hang on to things and not lose them or else that would just make things harder for the likes of you. Keep that in mind, mate."

After saying that, Nigel couldn't help but think about Jackal, Serpent, and their lackeys…. now Nigel thinks about them… it's been quite some time when he last saw them and wonders if they are doing well, after he gave them enough cash in hopes they find better lives for themselves...

As for Jaune, he was speechless of hearing this guy say this to him. It's true he could've ignored Jaune and just went on his way… but this guy showed kindness and gave him his combination anyways, despite these two not knowing each other, not even yesterday.

"Wow…. just… wow. I don't know what to say to you….. Thanks." Jaune said in gratitude towards Nigel.

"Eh, no worries, Mate. Just lending you a hand. Nothing more, nothing less." He casually said but gave one last piece of advice. "Just remember to check your pockets and not end up losing something that's essential to you."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind." Jaune said and begins walking off but stops and looks at Nigel again.

"Hey. At least tell me your name." Jaune simply said towards Nigel who raised his head and looked him.

"I have many names that people and faunus alike have called me, but you can just call me Nigel Arvo." Nigel said.

"Oh, well the name's Jaune Arc. It's short, it's sweet, and it rolls off the tongue. The ladies sure do love it." Jaune boasted. Now Nigel starts sensing his overconfidence starting to swell up within him.

"_And now he's dripping with overconfidence…" _Nigel mentally sighed but he held nothing against Jaune. He seems like a very nice guy which Nigel can roll with. Besides, he met far more obnoxious and arrogant people anyways, in his journeys so Jaune here ain't got nothing on those those guys Nigel dealt with.

That's when Jaune turned his attention elsewhere which Nigel followed and spotted two people nearby.

Weiss Schnee and another girl she's talking to.

The girl has a pale white complexion, with red hair in a long ponytail, and vivid green eyes. For a girl, she's actually pretty tall and muscular, standing at 6'0" and having a build close to that of an amazon beauty.

Unlike most girls, she actually wears armor, made of bronze, but she still shows off plenty of skin, from her smooth shoulders, her muscular arms, her muscular abdomen, and her slender but strong legs that are hidden beneath her bronze greaves

Her outfit consists of a brown overbust corset, an elastic, black, a-line miniskirt, a bronze bracelet, high heeled boots, a red sash wrapped around her skirt, brown opera length gloves on her hands, and a bronze circlet as her headpiece.

Her emblem is a shield and spear that's on a bronze plate on her right hip.

Jaune had no idea who this girl is but Nigel instantly recognized her as none other than the famous Pyrrha Nikos; A skillful and gifted prodigy of a fighter.

Like Weiss Schnee, it seems Beacon will have another famous and popular huntress in training this year.

She and Weiss are chatting but Weiss suddenly turned her back on Pyrrha and begins expressing a rather evil and twisted face as if she's planning some kind of dastardly and evil scheme… while a stormy black cloud surrounds her and gives off lighting… and Nigel can sense some kind of dastardly thoughts she's giving off… but he can't read what she's thinking of what her emotions suggest.

"And speaking of ladies." Jaune said with a grin and starts heading over there which made Nigel can't help but shake his head. He senses even more overconfidence in Jaune that it may get the better of him.

"_Good luck getting a harem, casanova." _Nigel thought sarcastically but he sets that aside for something more important.

Just before Jaune stormed off, Nigel was using his semblance and was reading Jaune, for that split second. He sensed a VERY faint outline of aura across Jaune's body body which is colored yellow, barely visible to NIgel's vision that it's almost invisible to him. This means this boy obviously has an aura... but it's dormant and hasn't been activated.

Nigel recalls to himself how he got his aura activated; He remembers, when he was only a young kid, his mother gently placing her hand on his cheek, focused her aura into him, while chanting, that awakened his own aura from there on.

Another thing Nigel notes… even when lying dormant…. Jaune's aura felt very strong and potent,

But still, even when Jaune's aura hasn't been activated, when it should have, to enter the academy, Nigel can't help but feel more suspicious about this guy.

Not to mention Nigel also sensed some hidden pieces of his emotions underneath Jaune's exterior… pulses of emotions that tells the kangaroo fauns that Jaune feels like he's regretting something…..

This made Nigel wonder about Jaune… he doesn't seem like your average joe coming to an academy while having his aura lying dormant and having some hidden and deeper emotions that suggest something Nigel and no one else knows about.

Though… Nigel wonders how long he will last in this academy. That is…. IF he survives the initation…..

That's when Nigel thought enough and heads out. He knows the initiation starts soon so he gets a head start.

Gale was already done getting geared up and began to head out but he stumbled across Jaune speaking to two of the girls that's Weiss and Pyrrha. Though, he wasn't sure of the white haired girl but he saw her emblem which gives Gale the hint she's likely related to the SDC… possibly the heiress as she has the looks of one.

As for the redhead, Gale swore she looked familiar… on that cereal box he saw earlier this morning when he ate breakfast with Jaune.

Weiss looks annoyed having Jaune in her presence but the girl on the cereal box doesn't look annoyed and seems curious about Jaune.

Gale decided to see what's Jaune's up to so he heads over and join the conversation.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Weiss groaned, annoyed of Jaune trying too hard to impress her.

"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed." Jaune said, assuring Weiss… which he really isn't. Much to Gale's slight amusement, It's Jaune that should be embarrassed since he ain't impressing Weiss.

"Trying to woo some ladies there, Jaune?" Gale said but he knows Jaune is hardly doing so.. "Because you sure are doing a great job at that."

"Oh hey, Gale." Jaune greeted his large acquaintance. "I sure am so watch and learn from me."

"_Honestly, not even close, my friend." _That's all Gale could say silently to Jaune.

"So, been hearing' rumors about the teams. I was thinking about you and me, Weiss, would make a good one." Jaune said to Weiss who's still not amused. "What do you say?"

"Aren't you jumping to conclusions a bit there, Jaune?" Gale pointed out. "Not to mention that we can't pick who we want on our teams when the initiation is based on who you meet in the Emerald Forest by eye contact."

"I agree on that, Gale." Pyrrha agreed with Gale, since she heard Jaune mention his name. "And I think the teams are also comprised of four students each, so-" She tried to finish but Jaune interrupted her.

"You don't say." Jaune said, looking at Weiss for a split second, before zipping over to Pyrrha. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you join up with the winning team."

Gale couldn't help but sweatdrop hearing what Jaune just said.

"_What is he even talking about?" _He thought and felt concerned that Jaune is really getting full of himself.

Weiss zips between Jaune and Pyrrha, trying to widen the gap a little.

"Jaune and Gale, is it?" Weiss said towards Jaune and also adding Gale to the conversation. "Do you two have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel." Jaune said, giving Weiss a nickname.

"Just another student that's attending Beacon? I don't see what's wrong with that." Gale said, but he takes Weiss' word for it since he saw that redhead's face on the cereal box so she may be popular or something like that.

"This is Pyrrha Nikos." Weiss introduced Pyrrha's name.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha happily greeted that sounded really cheerful.

"She graduated top of her class at Sanctum Academy from Argus." Weiss said.

"Never heard of it." Jaune said deadbeat, almost sounding apathetic.

Gale looked at Jaune with a raised eyebrow?

"Really, Jaune? I may have come from the jungle but I still know the locations of most academies across Remnant."

"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament, four years in a row! A new record!" Weiss said again, trying to ring a bell to Jaune.

Gale whistles in being impressed. "Dang. Four years in a row? Sounds like you're a very skilled and

"The what?" Jaune said, sounding like he wasn't listening.

Gale sweatdropped yet again at Jaune. "... You've got a long way to go if you ever want to find hook up with someone…." Gale said under his breath.

Weiss was losing her patience with this blonde bozo and starts flailing her arms so fast she's pretty much a snow white hummingbird.

"SHE'S ON THE FRONT OF EVERY PUMPKIN PETE'S MARSHMALLOW FLAKES BOX!" Weiss screamed, fed up with Jaune acting like a dolt.

That's when it clicked in Jaune's head as he gasped, realizing who Pyrrha really is.

"That's you? They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!" Jaune exclaimed in excitement, finally seeing the girl on the cover of his favorite cereal box.

On cue, Pyrrha is seen with her own face on a cereal box design in the background, emphasizing her prodigy status as a mascot on the cover of the cereal box.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool." Pyrrha admits but doesn't sound enthusiastic about it. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

On cue, as the cereal box design falls, a scream was heard and someone from above falls to the floor. It's Rocky who was using his semblance to bring up the box design but ended up falling and crumbling with the design. He quickly gathers up the pieces and hurries off, while nobody took notice of him.

"At least you can eat it in moderation, with a well balanced set of other foods for breakfast." Gale pointed out.

"So, after hearing all of this, including from your taller friend, do you really think you're in a position to ask _her_ to be on a team, even _if_ it was part of the initiation?" Weiss asked, trying to sound like she convinced him.

Jaune slumps his shoulders a little and looks slightly down in the dumps of hearing that, even if they are true. "I guess not… Sorry."

Gale puts his hand on Jaune's shoulder and tries to make him feel better.

"Cheer up, Jaune. It's not it's the end of the world. There are still plenty of other people in this academy that may be your teammates and partners." Gale said which seemed to have lightened Jaune's mood a little.

"Really?" Jaune asked, wondering if what Gale is saying may be true.

"He's right, Jaune." Pyrrha also came and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I think you would even make a great leader."

That's made Jaune feel even better that he gets all giddy from it.

"D'oh! Stop it!" Jaune chirped happily.

"Seriously, please stop it." Weiss scolded. "This kind of behavior should not be encouraged."

"Who put you in charge?" Rocky said in the background.

"Sounds like Pyrrha is on board for team Jaune." Jaune said, now back to be overconfident yet again. "The spots are filling up quick. Now I'm not supposed to do this, but, maybeI could pull a few strings. Find a place for you. What do you say?"

That is, Jaune leaned a bit too close to Weiss which made her a bit uncomfortable.

"Alright, that's a bit too close!" She turned to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, a little help please?!"

And what would Pyrrha's solution be in "helping" Weiss?

She chucks her her signature weapon, Milo, a spear, at Jaune which sends him flying back and into a wall. Luckily, it just got him by the hood of his hoodie and didn't hit anything fatal… but still.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha called out, apologizing to Jaune for what she had to do… despite that wasn't necessary.

That's when Glynda starts calling on the microphone that connects to the whole school.

"**Will all students first year students please report to Beacon Cliff initiation? Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."**

With that said, every student begins heading towards Beacon Cliff, including everyone in the locker room.

Weiss storms past Jaune while Pyrrha comes up to Jaune, showing bits of regret doing that, as her hand reaches out and her spear suddenly flies back into her grip without even touching it.

"It was nice meeting you." Pyrrha said before leaving.

"Likewise." Jaune sighed.

The only people that stayed with Jaune was Ruby, Yang, Gale, and Rocky.

"Having some trouble there, ladykiller?" Yang teased as Ruby and Gale brought out their hands to help him up.

"That… seemed pretty overkill." Rocky said out loud who saw that. "A few inches to the left and she would've skewered your brain like a shish kabob."

"I don't understand." Jaune said sadly. "My dad said all women look for is confidence. Where did I go wrong?"

Gale couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, hate to say it, but your dad should've told you a lot more about what women look for which would've been helpful." Gale can remember many things his grandfather told him how to socialize with people, especially with girls. Boy, his grandfather sure seemed prepared to teach him nearly everything he knows at such a fast pace when Gale was young.

"Snow Angel. Probably wasn't the best start."

"Gale. Yes…. it wasn't the best start." Gale agreed but he couldn't help but notice Yang gave him a sly wink….

"Come on, Jaune." Ruby said, as she and Gale supported him out of the locker room. "Let's go."

The last one out was Rocky.

"Boy. These character introductions and interactions sure are paying off." Rocky said out loud which made everyone else look at him in slight confusion what he meant by that.

* * *

**Beacon Cliff.**

The location taking place at a large and wide open cliff, not too far away from Beacon Academy, but it also borders towards the Emerald Forest which is where the initiation will soon begin.

Near the edge of the cliff are what appears to be a long row of pads in the ground where each student is standing on. In fact, they are launch pads which are used to catapult the new students into the Emerald Forest.

Standing closer to the edge is Ozpin and Glynda who will be instructing the initiation while Glynda will observe and analyze every piece of the action they are in to determine if they are qualified to become students and huntsman in training.

Amongst the crowd of teens is Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Adam, Rocky, Gale, Nigel, Nora, Ren, and many others.

While most of the students that lined up were random, either by coincidence or anything else, Adam was standing right next to Blake and Jaune was standing close to Ruby who is standing close to Yang… oh, and Nora is standing right next to Ren.

Most of the newcomers are already here and are standing on their respective pads, listening to Ozpin who starts instructing while he sips his mug.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors and the next generation to bare the weight of the world on your shoulders." Ozpin said. "And today, your abilities and skills will be evaluated within the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard the rumors of team assignments." Glynda said with her tablet in hand. Most of the students already know there will be team assignments but some don't so Glynda considers it's best to inform about it, just in case.

"Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion; Each of you will be given teammates… _today_." She finished, putting emphasis on the last word.

Ruby and especially Jaune were nervous but everyone else managed to remain calm. That did not go unnoticed by Nigel as he can feel emotions surrounding him without even looking at them.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone whom you can work with."

Ruby got even more nervous, since she prefers Yang to be her partner but it sounds like those chances are dwindling each time a sentence comes out of Ozpin's mouth.

"That being said, the first you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years, whenever intentional or not."

Now Ruby's realizes her chances with Yang are her partner have gotten so slim that her attempt to remain calm shattered like fragile glass.

"WHAT?!" She said in complete shock.

"Oh this will be interesting." Rocky said.

Blake and Adam briefly looked at each other in the corner of their eyes but stayed silent.

"After you partnered up, make your way up to the northern end of forest's northern end. You meet opposition along the way."

Nigel blinked and used his semblance for a second, a bit curious of what's out there. He doesn't sense any aura but he does sense a lot of negativity.. And dozens upon dozens of scattered patches of darkness within the forest. He doesn't need to take a guess what's out there.

"Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you will die." Ozpin also said, giving them a warning that this isn't a game and they need to stay alert and face the upcoming threats.

Jaune audibly gulps in terror, feeling extremely nervous just what he's about to get into. Gale had a determined look in his eyes. Nora had a big smile on her face while glancing towards Ren who remained stoic.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But many of our instructors and professors will not intervene, even if you are put in a life threatening situation."

"_Guess that means we're gonna be on our own. Definitely best to find a partner and team if we want to survive entering that place." _Nigel thought and stayed silent.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path that contains several relics which you will need to collect. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff."

"Huh. Guess it's a test where we must search for an item and bring them back in _one piece_." Gale said. A bit surprised they are gonna go with this kind of test. Most other academies have different kinds of tests that involve other objectives but he ain't complaining on this one and is interested.

"We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately."

"_Based on the instructions, we have to make every action and decision count than." _Adam thought.

"Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked, in case there is more info the students want to know.

Everyone stayed silent…. Except Jaune who raised his hand.

"Yeah… um… sir-" Jaune tried to say but Ozpin ignored him.

"Good!" Ozpin announced. "Now, take your positions."

With that said, everyone gets into positions.

But before everyone starts catapulting, Adam and Blake looked at each other one last time. No need to say a word. They just smiled and nodded to each other. Bidding good luck to each other.

And that's where Blake is the first to be catapult into the Emerald Forest. Adam watches in silence, as his closest friend hurtles into the Emerald Forest.

"Uh, sir? I've got… uh… a question." Jaune said, still raising his hand.

During that moment, Weiss Schnee and a few more get catapulted.

"So this "landing strategy" thing, uh, what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

Shortly after, Nigel is next and he too is now flying. Followed by Adam and another student named Russel.

"No." Ozpin, replied casually, like there's nothing to worry about. "You will be _falling." _

"And not just any kind of falling, Jaune." Rocky said towards the blonde with a big grin on his face. "It's falling… with _style!"_

And after saying that, Rocky gets launched.

"WOOOOOHOOOOO!" Rocky hollered as he shot upwards like an arrow.

"Oh, I… see." Jaune scratched his head. "So did you hand out parachutes or something for us?"

Next is Nora who also whoops and hollers like Rocky did.

"No." Ozpin says again. "You will be using your _own _landing strategy.

Another student named Cardin gets sent into the forest. Yang was next but she winked at both Ruby AND Gale before putting on a pair of cool shades and hollered at the top of her lungs when she takes the launch. Gale was next and he was feeling the wind flying past his face.

Ruby gives Jaune a smug smile and she's the next to go… and now all that's left… is Jaune… who's not ready for this.

"So… what is exactly a landing strategYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!"

Poor Jaune got catapulted without warning and now he's tumbling in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs, along with the other students who were more prepared and are fl

As for Ozpin. He watches his new students hurtling into the Emerald Forest, while sipping his mug and calmly smiles.

Glynda turns her gaze towards Ozpin and looked at him in silence before saying something.

"You never get tired of doing this, do you?" Glynda calmly asked, obvious what Ozpin may say since they've done this for many years

"Of course not." Ozpin replied. "As much as I find it amusing to watch some of the clueless students getting catapulted without warning…."

He stayed silent for a moment… remembering all the decades before where he sends many newcomers into the Emerald Forest to see if they are worthy of attending his academy. While most have made it back and proved they are worthy ... while others have not come back and died during the initiation, mostly getting killed by a Grimm.

"It's just like that. Every time we do this, I silently hope they all make it out alive… it's very tragic and unfortunate that many previous students before were unlucky and never made it back out… alive."

Even to this day, Ozpin can still remember the mourning of families and loved ones crying over the young souls that… didn't make it in his initiation and he takes full responsibility. He knows that because he has made a lot of mistakes… more than anyone else in Remnant… and yet, he's doing what he thinks is right to bring peace and stop the Grimm… and other things only he knows about…. he briefly imagined, in his mind, a pair of eyes with red irises and black sclera staring at him… menacingly….

The old headmaster hopes these new students will make it all out in one piece, hoping there isn't another casualty he must be held responsible for.

He looks out towards the horizon of the valley of the Emerald Forest, where the students flew into, especially Ruby Rose… since her silver eyes mean something to him.

"The best we can do… is pray we will end the darkness that is trying to consume us all… only these beacons of light can hold it back ... and pray they will one day vanquish the darkness for good….

* * *

**And that's that for the chapter. **

**Well, as much as I am enjoying this, I'm very close to getting my team together as ANGR and that is where it will soon happen.**

**Honestly, while it does look like my fic is following the canon to an extent, it will start to diverge to being a bit more original overtime, especially that I have plans for many things to add to the lore and also adding many new characters to spice things up a little. Also, there will be slight changes of other things but that will be classified as of now.**

**Another thing, this is basically an introduction chapter of everyone entering Beacon and just starting to know each other so I'm just going along getting most of the main characters into Beacon and getting ready for the Initiation. **

**I have decided to add three episodes into one chapter to speed things along a little so we can get to the point of the initiation and get my team together once and for all. **

**Lastly, I know it seems like I'm giving Rocky a bit too much focus on here. But I will assure you the other three will get just as much focus and Rocky will start becoming part of the team and blends in with them well.**

**Anyways, tune in next time as the four young men and all the other students enter the Emerald Forest and seize the goal to gain the chest pieces.**


	7. Through the Woods

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

**The OCs belong to me**

**Team ANGR**

**Chapter 3; Through the Woods**

**Emerald Forest**

* * *

The Emerald Forest. A vast and wide open valley covered with nothing but endless forest as far as the eye can see, over the horizon and even beyond the mountains. Just like Forever Fall, it too has been left mostly untouched by human activity and rarely has been explored from time to time, which makes it the perfect environment for the Grimm to hide and multiply. A perfect habitat to reap on any unlucky or ignorant person to ever wander in these woods alone.

Regardless, it's used as part of the initiation in Beacon academy for the new and young hunters and huntresses to test their strength, willpower, skills, and determination to prove if they are worthy of attending the academy… _after _they endure whatever the forest holds, with a team of four members each, retrieving the relic they are searching for, and especially staying alive through the whole thing.. because the Grimm are the real deal and this is no game… this is an actual test for survival.

And today is the day; The Initiation

The skies were filled with flying individuals made of flesh, leather, silk, fabric, and metals. New students to become part of the academy that is Beacon.

The power of the catapults that launched them have sent them flying for several more minutes and now they are miles deep into the forest from the cliffside where they started.

One by one, the students begin to spread out, as gravity begins to take hold and velocity begins to decrease.

Descending towards the treeline is Adam Taurus, who remains calm and collected, letting gravity pull him down, as he tightly grips Wilt by the hilt, which is still sheathed with Blush. He's coming down at a fast pace as the treetops are getting closer and closer to him that it looks like he will crash through the branches.

But the blue haired faunus doesn't plan any of that and quickly unsheathes his blue bladed katana that gives out a loud "SHING!".

Just as he enters the forest's treetops and through the thinner branches, he begins twisting his body and swinging his blade at a rapid pace that he's easily cutting his way through the thicker branches like a weed wacker through the vegetation.

Just as the bull faunus was about to hit the ground, he was coming in at a diagonal angle so he had to time it right or his landing's gonna be rough. He slightly twists his body again and stretches leg out, right before impact to the ground, at a steep angle. Just as he slammed into the earth and slid for at least a dozen meters, he manages to balance himself and grinds to a halt that leaves a trail behind him.

Adam stood in silence for a few seconds, standing at his full height, with Wilt still in his hand. Thing is, despite that he sliced through the branches, none of them appear to have been visibly cut and are still attached to the trees… that is until Adam calmly puts Wilt back into Blush and smoothly slides it back in. Once the sword is fully sheathed and lets out an audible "Clack" sound… all the tree branches that he went through were all chopped off from the trees and littered the forest floor behind Adam. The faunus takes a deep breath and begins walking, not saying a word since there is no one else around.

As he carried on, keeping his hand firmly on his sword's hilt, he stayed focused on his surroundings, already knowing the Grimm thrive here and they could be just around the corner, even behind the nearby bushes and trees right next to him. Which is why he can't get distracted or else he'll run the risk of getting ambushed and forced to fight which will waste some energy and ammo on the weaker Grimm that he doesn't really need to face unless absolutely necessary.

Just as Adam continued his trek, some of the trees and bushes had glowing red eyes that were all staring at him….

* * *

A few miles away, in another part of the forest, another soul was hurtling through the sky. If one could see his barmah hat and kangaroo tail, it's definitely Nigel Arvo.

For such a thrill of flying through the air like a missile, Nigel was doing his best to keep his hat on his head by holding it in place because he doesn't want to lose that hat of his that he deeply values.

When the faunus begins to descend, he takes a deep breath and opens his eyes, briefly using his semblance to scan what's ahead of him and begins formulating a way to safely land.

The first thing he does is draw his balderangs from his holsters that held them in and focuses towards the treelines he's about to fall through. He reels his arms back and throws his bladerangs with all his might, making the bladerangs spin like flying buzz saws and cutting their way through the thick treetops, clearing a path for Nigel.

He twisted and twirled, without hitting any of the falling branches, and managed to grab a larger branch with both hands and swung from it, adding more momentum to launch him forward, until he finally slammed into the ground feet first which slightly cratered the ground beneath him and sent bits of dust flying. His strong and muscular legs have absorbed much of the impact for him which made the landing easier for him.

"Talk about a hard landing." Nigel said out loud and stands back to his full height, casually catching his bladerangs that spun back to him and puts them back in their holsters, without even looking.

Since he's here now, might as well get going and get the relic… but first, he's gonna do a quick scan of his surroundings.

The kangaroo faunus started to slow down his breathing and slowly closed his eyes. He cleared his mind that he could barely process a thought and felt a concentrated surge of his emotions are heightened… and he opens his eyes, which are in a familiar violet shade.

With his semblance activated, Nigel scans his surroundings. What he sees in his sight is mostly the forest that appears to limit his range of vision but that's where his semblance comes in.

Like back in Bardus, his point of view appears to be slightly dimmed down to a violet shade and appears to be hazy like that of a mirage. Out in the distance, he can see many bright dots of lights that are in variable colors and they are scattered all around him, indicating these are all of the students in the initiation.

That's not the only thing he detects… aside from the bright dots of light… he also sees scattered patches of darkness that resembles dark clouds… and he senses a lot of negativity in them.

"_No doubt that's from the Grimm…" _Nigel thought, instantly recognizing the dark clouds that are only visible to his semblance vision since he has seen it many times before. He recalls the time when he traveled through the Wailing Desert back in Menagerie where the Grave Stalkers hid under the sand dunes to ambush unlucky victims. His semblance helped him locate where they are hiding which helped him get around the Grimm without getting ambushed by them. Any that ditched their tactic and tried to take him head on only end up dead by him.

For now, being able to detect where the Grimm are, most of them are far away from his current position and they are scattered all over the forest… but he can't help but feel a bit concerned he detects bigger and stronger clouds of darkness further away… no doubt those may be Death Stalkers and Nevermores… and possibly something even nastier than those two types of Grimm combined…..

With that noted, Nigel stays cautious and begins to notice the direction the other students are heading, giving out the hint the relics must be in that direction which is where he must go.

He steps forward and heads further into the forest, staying completely on guard and not letting the Grimm get the chance to ambush him if they even tried.

"Alright. Let's see what the Emerald Forest holds for us to overcome." Nigel said, taking out another dark chocolate bar and takes a big bite out of it while savoring the taste. After wrapping up the rest and putting it in his pocket, he begins walking further into the forest, deciding to take a more open path where there are less trees to reduce the risk of Grimm ambushes.

* * *

In another part of the forest, a third soul enters which came down like a meteor and crashed through the treetops and into the earth, creating a small explosion of dust and dirt flying from the impact.

When the dust settled, crouched within a crater, on one knee and one fist, is Gale Hathi who haw his head down but raised it up, showing his eyes that are filled with determination and eagerness to enter this god forsaken forest.

Just before he landed, he managed to slow himself down slightly with his Turbine Gauntlet but even than, the landing was still very powerful and left the ground indented beneath him but he didn't break a sweat.

He stands back up to his feet, taking a big and deep breath that fills his lungs with fresh air of the Emerald Forest. Instead of already heading out, Gale wanted to just stand still and inspect the forest around him.

Opening his eyes and looking around, he already knows the Emerald Forest is a place that has been barely touched by human activity and filled with Grimm. But he doesn't seem intimidated or worried for that matter, regardless of the Grimm and the dangers. In fact, he actually feels relaxed and contempt with this place, vaguely reminding him of his native homeland that is the jungles of Sanus. While this forest isn't as noisy nor as massive as his homeland and filled to the brim with all kinds of megaflora and megafauna, this place still felt

It's apparent that, while he's already getting used to stepping into the more densely populated cities and towns that the humans and faunus populate, Gale will always feel more at home out in the wilderness, especially the more tropical locations.

During those thoughts, he heard the sounds of chirping and spotted what looked like a green cardinal which is a bird covered in bright green feathers with some yellow streaked arcross it. The bird was chirping for a bit and flew off its perch and further into the forest. Nearby, Gale also spotted a silver squirrel with pointy ears which is in fact a squirrel covered in silver fur. It was eating an acorn until it spotted Gale and scampered out of sight.

It seems even the Emerald Forest has an ecosystem with organic life that thrive here, as all environments should, regardless of the presence of the Grimm.

With an initiation needed to be done, Gale can't stand around any longer and begins to make his steps.

"Time to put all of my training, both from grandpa and from me, to the test." Gale said and marched forward. _"Just watch me grandpa."_ He internally whispered, as he looked up into the sky, seeing nothing but clouds. _ "I'll make you proud how far I've come."_

* * *

Last but not least; There's one more young soul that's entering the forest… well… more like "flying" over it.

"FREEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOM!" Screamed a thrilling shout that was so loud and powerful that even the other side of the entire forest could hear it. Flying high in the sky at near supersonic speeds is none other than… Rocky Rhode Runner. What he's actually doing to make him go so much faster and farther ... is that he's using his semblance by flapping his arms at such a fast pace that it almost makes him look as if he's actually flying like an actual bird. Heck, he's even using his tail feathers to help him steer and remain steady.

Here, Rocky is actually enjoying the thrill of "flying", despite that he needs to take it seriously. It's like he's being a free spirit that's deeply enjoying what it feels like to be free with nothing to worry about to hold him down from his past… of his struggles and torment that will forever be with him until the day he dies….. And that was before he met his trainer who taught him everything he knows that gave him hope for a better life that also partially molded him into what he is now… then that incidental event in Atlas forever changed his life…..

Before Rocky could think any further… he couldn't stay focused on where he was going… and ended up crashing right into the top a massive tree that towered over many others. He smacked into it so hard that the tree bent back that the top of it almost reached halfway to the ground.

For some reason, the tree didn't snap in two from the immense pressure and remained bent halfway down for a few more seconds which was enough for Rocky to regain his senses and tried to comprehend what is going on.

"Oh my aching head… where am I…?" That was all Rocky could say before he realized what was happening and where he's at…. And the tree can no longer stay bent. Seeing what is about to happen, Rocky kept a straight but blank expression on his face as if he knows this is gonna suck.

"Oh son of a bi-" That's all he could say, before the tree finally snaps back into place which catapults Rocky who goes flying yet again, only to tumble head over heels this time, while comically screaming at the top of his lungs.

With no control of himself, Rocky plummeted down and into the treeline and crashed through the branches but it gets comically more crazy is that he's tumbling through the forest and bouncing off the trees like some kind of pinball in a pinball machine. Thankfully, his toon force semblance and aura absorbed most of the impact that it's hardly even hurting him but it sure is making him dizzy since his vision is spinning and blurry that it's almost making him sick to his stomach.

"When will this crazy roller coaster ride end?!" Rocky moaned in complete disdain and wishing for it to be over.

As if his wish was granted, Rocky hit a random tree for the last time and begins flying towards the ground at a diagonally steep angle like a human sized meteorite. Just as the roadrunner faunus hits the ground, he STILL didn't stop as he's now basically sliding across the ground while also being partially submerged in the ground which leaves a carved out trail behind him and sending small chunks of the ground and dirt into the air.

After sliding for a few more seconds, Rocky hits a random rock that was partially burried in the ground which not only stops him but also sends him tumbling into the air.

"WHOOOA!" Rocky wailed as his vision is spinning yet again. However, a maneuver like this instantly reminded him of an acrobatic technique back in his circus days so he focused and used his experience and skills for his acrobats taught by his trainer. And using those tricks, he manages to safely land on his two feet like he was doing a complex acrobatic technique with no difficulty.

Even doing that impressive technique, the young man couldn't help but slightly hallucinate and see himself back underneath a massive circus tent and surrounded by cheering crowds in the thousands to even hundreds of thousands.

Despite that it's likely his own illusion, Rocky wanted to appreciate his imaginary audience, as he stands up straight and spreads out his arms like he's showing off his awesome feat to everyone.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! You've been a wonderful audience." Rocky announced with great enthusiasm, albeit with a dazed slur.

But what Rocky didn't know was that something big was behind him and was about to fall on him… it turns out to be one of the trees that he pinballed into ended up snapping in half seconds after, as it now starts tumbling down… towards Rocky with his back turned and he didn't even see or hear the tree coming.

**CRASH!**

The large tree fell right on top of poor Rocky which apparently squashed him underneath it's massive weight that also shook the ground that even sent the perched birds in the trees to fly off in fright.

Seconds later, as it seemed the faunus is dead, his arm reached out from under the tree that was followed by his other arm…..and they look as flat as paper for some reason. Either way, Rocky doesn't waste time and begins to dig his fingers into the soft soil, pulling himself out from under the tree.

Eventually, after several struggling seconds of straining, he finally dragged himself out from under the tree and stands back up… somewhat because he's all wobbly and trying his best to stay balanced.

The weird thing for Rocky is how light he feels on his feet. That's because he's flat as a pancake due to his semblance making him mold his body that helped him absorb the majority of the tree's weight coming down on him.

"Oh that smarts." Rocky says as he started getting used to his temporary new body shape but still wobbling around a bit. "Good thing my semblance and aura bailed me out of that one or else that would've been the end of Rocky Rhode Runner." He chortled and looked like he was in a stupor. That's a side effect of his semblance when he uses it a little too much in a short amount of time, especially doing it in physics defying ways..

He tried to take a walk but he looked more like he's drunk off his ass and was trying to stay on his feet, as much as he was like a piece of paper that's struggling against a slight breeze.

"Ah right. What was I thinking?" Rocky says as he takes a deep breath and jams his thumb into his mouth. Once he did, he starts to blow with all his might and he suddenly starts inflating his flattened body back to it's default shape with a lot of cartoonish popping sounds coming from his body changing back to normal.

"There we go." Rocky sounded satisfied of recovering his regular body shape but he noticed his mohawk got all messy and bent out of shape. He quickly straightens it back out into it's crest like shape that of a roadrunner's with his hands and a bit of hair gel he keeps in his pocket.

"Now where was I…" He mumbled for a second until he just remembered. "Oh right. The relics and getting a partner." He announced and started heading in the right direction in a slight jog to make up some wasted time of being stuck under that fallen tree.

But Rocky didn't get far, not even ten feet, as he heard the sound of growling right behind him…

"Ugh.. for the love of-" But he had to leap out of the way as a swipe of razor sharp claws barley missed him and ended up slashing against a random tree which got sliced in half and crashes to the ground nearby.

Rocky gained distance and saw… an Alpha Beowulf that turned around and growled at Rocky, baring its fangs and claws. Out of the bushes came several more Beowolves, at least four, that are apparently the Alpha's pack members.

"Oh come on!" Rocky complained with his arms raised in the air like this has to be some kind of joke. "I just got here and now you are attacking me?! I thought we don't fight the likes of you until the next several paragraphs after we enter this place!"

The Alpha Grimm ignored him and roared, signaling it's pack members to attack.

Rocky rolled his eyes and just went with it, instantly drawing his double barreled revolvers and twirled them in his hands. "Alright. If that's what you want, then be my guest!" He shouts and takes action.

The dark beasts charge at full speed, intending to tear him apart with their razor sharp claws and dagger like teeth. But Rocky was already one step ahead before they even made the first move.

He aimed one of his revolvers at one of the smaller beowolves and fired an ordinary bullet that easily pierced it's skull, instantly killing it, as black smoke and black liquid blew out of the other side of the exit wound. As it collapsed, the dead Grimm distengrated.

The Alpha was instantly upon Rocky and tried to swipe him with both of its claws in a criss cross slash fashion. Rocky reacted to this by using his semblance to bend way back like he's doing the limbo. Once the Grimm missed, Rocky counter attacked by putting his hands on the ground and launching forward with his leg that kicked the Alpha Grimm right under it in the chin which stunned it. Rocky than wrapped both of his legs around the neck and uses his momentum to toss the larger Grimm into the other Grimm. One managed to dodge but the other two weren't so lucky and fell over from the Alpha slamming into them.

Just as the Alpha Beowulf crashed into the others, Rocky already aimed one of his revolvers and fired a Fire Dust enhanced bullet towards them. However, the Alpha Grimm is far smarter and focused than its more reckless and dimmer pack members that it instantly leaped out of the way from the fire bullet's path. It was able to evade a fatal injury but the other two weren't so lucky.

One Grimm took a bullet to the chest but instead of the bullet going through it like the last Grimm, the bullet explodes in a decently large explosion that the entire Grimm's upper half was blown to bits, leaving the bottom half to stand still and then fade to ashes.

The other Grimm was a little more lucky but not enough to be unscathed by the heat and force of the explosion. As it skidded to the side, its body was badly burnt and charred that some of its bone armor were cracked and melted, even its mask was partially broken off, along with its right ear blown off as well.

The Alpha Beowulf saw the whole thing and takes note to itself that this opponent has very effective and destructive long ranged weaponry… and it needs to cancel that out by getting in close where he would be forced to face the Alpha without using his most destructive parts of his arsenal.

Rocky turns his attention back to the Alpha Grimm which was standing on all fours and watching him like it's studying him, giving out a low growl towards him.

Rocky quickly figures it out that this is definitely an older Grimm and it's definitely much smarter than your average beowulf. It's already likely thinking of a way to get around his ace in the hole that are his revolvers and to force him to face it up close with a handicap at that.

"Trying to read me like a book, eh?" Rocky mocked the Grimm which growled back at him. "Well you're gonna have to flip the pages and study me very quickly because I'm gonna turn you into swiss cheese!"

The faunus opens fire with his revolvers again, intending to take out the Alpha as quickly as possible. The Alpha Grimm sprinted on all fours to avoid the gunfire, even using the trees and boulders as cover and to make it harder for Rocky to take proper aim. The Alpha than ran behind a large boulder. Rocky ceased fire and kept his eye on the Grimm's hiding spot, knowing this Grimm is likely trying to make a counter attack against him.

On cue, the Alpha appears on top of the boulder and instantly throws something at Rocky who instinctively fires at them. Turns out, they were two rocks that the Grimm threw at him but Rocky, nevertheless, shattered the rocks to pebbles with two well placed bullets.

But that's what the Grimm wanted which gave it time to leap towards Rocky with its claws and teeth bared. Rocky was distracted by the scattered pebbles that he had to block with his arm to not hit him in the face that he didn't have time to aim at the Beowulf that was coming towards him.

He was forced to roll out of the way and did several acrobatic backflips to gain some distance as the Alpha Grimm missed and skidded to a halt.

"You know, for an Alpha Beowulf, that was a rather clever trick you did there." Rocky told the Grimm which turned around and growled at him again.

"But that's where you must perish." Rocky bluntly announced and aims again. This time, deciding to use some of his Dust to end this Grimm due to being smarter than he gave credit for. He fires another Fire Dust enhanced bullet but the Grimm dodges yet again and avoids the explosive heat. Rocky figures this Grimm is gonna dodge his bullets so he thought of a more indirect surprise to catch it off guard.

He uses his semblance to curl into a tight ball and rolled under the Grimm that passed over him. Before the Grimm can turn around, Rocky was one step ahead of him and fired a lightning dust bullet that electrocuted and paralyzed the Grimm in place for several seconds. This gave Rocky enough time to fire another fire dust bullet dead center in the chest. Unlike the weaker Grimm, the Alpha was durable enough to tank it which sent it flying back and slamming into the same boulder it hid behind, leaving a big crater on the face of it.

The Alpha was lying on the ground, with much of it's fur burnt and it's thicker bone armor all cracked and broken off. But it still managed to get back up, albeit shakingly, and still glared and growled at the roadrunner faunus.

"Time to end this, since I need to carry on." Rocky said, now sounding a little impatient.

The Grimm roared at the top of its lungs and sprinted at full speed, intending to rip him to shreds, even if its majorly injured. Even with some self preservation and intelligence to boot, the Alpha Grimm is still bent on killing humans and faunus until it dies. Besides, it's close to death and Rocky can now apparently counter its own tactics so it's going all out as a last ditch effort to get at Rocky.

Despite the determination, it was a big mistake for the wolf Grimm.

Rocky aimed downwards and fired an Ice Dust bullet which appears to have missed the Alpha and just end up freezing the ground…but once the bullet hits the ground it exploded into a bunch of man-sized impaling icicles with very sharp at the tips and sticking out of the ground at a diagonal angle… and they were pointing right at the Alpha Beowulf that was flying towards it.

The Beowulf gets impaled by the icicles in nearly every part of its body, especially in the chest, stomach, arms, legs, and neck, leaving it immobilized, as black ooze and smoke leaked from it's gaping wounds. The Grimm was losing strength and struggled to break free as Rocky walked towards it and aimed his revolver at it's head.

"Checkmate."

BANG!

He fired another Ice Dust bullet that instantly turned into an icicle which impaled through the open mouth and sticking out of the back of it's head. Black smoke and ooze leaked out of the head wound as the Grimm stopped struggling and layed limp in the icicles. Seconds later, it too faded to ashes that leaves nothing but the icicles.

Rocky took a deep breath and calmed down, already savoring the short victory of killing his first couple of Grimm of the initiation. He twirled his revolvers and put them back in their holsters. He looked around and finds no more Grimm… though, he swore there was one that got hit by his explosions and got half burnt but he doesn't see it anywhere.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Meh. It probably succumbed and went to ashes." He said that he didn't care and went on his way.

Little did he know, hiding in a nearby bush, is the young beowulf that suffered the intense burns and losing it's ear. It managed to sneak away when Rocky wasn't looking and got to safety. The Grimm watches Rocky walk away and the Grimm felt it's instincts telling it to attack him… but it was hesitant to attack since it's being aware what that being it tried to attack is capable of and easily dispatched it's pack members and alpha.

Basically, this Grimm is learning what it experienced and it decides it should withdraw and go somewhere else while licking its wounds.

The Grimm silently growled and scampered deeper into the Emerald Forest, looking for another pack of Beowolves to co-exist with.

* * *

**20 minutes later **

Some time has passed and many of the other teenagers have traveled far, a few have even found each other already and becoming official partners.

Others have still yet to find theirs… and sometimes… some partnerships are more interesting than others.

Moving quickly through the dense forest is Gale who's doing a simple jog, along with some added jumps and swings from the trees to throw him even further. Due to his experience in the jungles of Sanus, the Emerald Forest is a cakewalk for him.

Still, it's been some time since he got here and he has yet to come across either a Grimm to slay or a partner to team up with. Not that he's complaining or rushing things since he's used to traveling on his own and fighting all kinds of Grimm since his grandfather's passing so he's really patient but he's also just as eager to have a partner and a team for this year.

Before he can think any more, he suddenly heard a growling sound to his right and it was coming from the bushes… and sees something big and dark within it. He saw red lines and red eyes start to low as they glared at Gale.

Recognizing that it's a Grimm, Gale instantly activated his Turbine Gauntlets on his wrists and got into his combat stance, ready to fight his first Grimm in Vale.

The Grimm bursts out of the bushes, knocking aside a tree and crushing the smaller bushes under its mighty paws, letting out a mighty roar that could be heard for miles.

It's an Ursa Major; And it's got its sights on Gale with a feral bloodlust to maul him.

The young man couldn't help but smirk towards this rather large and burly Grimm that's glaring down at him, reminding him of the Beta and Alpha Beringel that he fought and slayed back in the jungles of Sanus. Though, this Grimm is probably not as powerful or as vicious, a Grimm at that size and power is a perfect warm up for him.

"Bring it on." Gale taunted as the giant demonic bear roared again and charged on all fours which wasn't surprising to Gale as he knows older and stronger Grimm are also faster than their younger selves.

Gale instantly responds and points his arms behind him and creates a massive burst of wind from his weapons that sent him flying forward. He reaches the Grimm and lands the first hit with a flying knee kick with an added boost in power from his gauntlets. The knee strike hit it square in the forehead that stopped the Grimm dead in its tracks and sent a small shockwave outwards that blew away dust and pieces of loose dirt.

The Ursa Major growled in response, showing only moderate damage from the impact and still able to fight. It raised its large paw and tried to swipe at Gale but he caught it with both of his hands and counters with a spin and a sharp elbow strike to the side of the Ursa's gut which stunned it long enough for Gale to wrap both of his arms around the neck of the Grimm and tosses it over his shoulder, sending it into ground which cratered under the impact. Just as Gale was about to wrestle the Grimm into a submissive headlock, the bear counters by raising itself from the ground and tries to bite his face off but Gale leans aside to avoid the bite and ends up on top of the Grimm's back, suddenly giving it a chokehold from behind.

The Ursa Major roars in anger and tries to buck Gale off of its back but the teen held on tight and won't let go. The Grimm can't reach him from behind either so it can't force him off so easily.

With quick thinking, the Ursa Major stands up at full height and quickly backs itself up against a nearby tree, smashing itself with Gale between it and the tree that took most of the impact hard enough to snap the tree in half and forced Gale to let go.

The Ursa turns around and begins swiping its claws at Gale repeatedly with occasional biting attempts but Gale kept dodging by leaning and ducking out of the way. Only getting swiped once that sent him skidding back and smacked into another tree that broke it in half and crashing into the ground. The Grimm advanced on Gale and forced him onto defense again which lasted a few more seconds.

Just as the Ursa Major tried to land another swipe, Gale intercepted it with a block and then quickly wrapped his arms around the Grimm's midsection as far as he could in a fashionably ironic and literal bear hug. Before the Ursa could do anything, Gale, with his gargantuan strength, SUPLEXED the massive Grimm into the ground which shook the area and made another crater only much larger than the last one.

Gale leaps back and sees that the Ursa Major has its head buried in the ground and it's body laid stiff, even it's legs pointed sky high and didn't appear to move. Seconds after, it fell to the side in a loud thud. Gale stayed on guard and watched the Grimm slowly get back up. It's mask is heavily cracked and some of its back spines are broken and splintered.

"Oh you're still kicking, after all that I've given ya?" Gale said towards the Grimm, still a little surprised this Grimm has taken such a powerful suplex that it could've killed most weaker Grimm in one hit.

The Grimm stood back up and roared at him, now really pissed off and charges again on all fours, it moved so fast in such short bursts that Gale didn't have time to properly countered and the only thing he could do was block with his arm… which the Grimm bit down on his exposed arm which wasn't covered by his gauntlet, near the elbow, with its powerful jaws.

Despite his aura preventing the Ursa's teeth form penetrating his flesh, Gale still couldn't help but grit his teeth at how painful and powerful the bite is but the Grimm doesn't stop there. Before Gale could do anything, the Grimm started shaking its head side to side really fast that Gale is now being swung around like a chew toy being rough handled by a dog. The Grimm kept slamming Gale into the ground which left craters, a few trees that snapped in half, and even a random log which shattered into splinters.

After a few more seconds of getting flung around, the Grimm swung one last time and let Gale go, sending him flying several feet away and tumbling across the ground like a rag doll but the young man easily recovered and managed to land onto his feet. Now clearly annoyed and wanting to end this.

The Grimm roars yet again. This time it makes a great leap and tries to crush Gale underneath its mighty paws with all of its weight behind it. Gale responds by activating Tempest, his left gauntlet, and shoots a focused green projectile of Wind Dust that smacks the Grimm right in the face and causes it to careen out of control in midair which left it open for Gale. He charges up a powerful punch as familiar green winds swirl around his right arm as he winds it back and prepares to land a powerful blow.

At the same time, Gale focused into his semblance, as his muscles bulged, elephant ears and tusks sprouted out of his head and mouth respectively, his eyes turned a familiar black and pupils remained turquoise, and his hair grew out a little.

Just as the Grimm was about to hit the ground, Gale, with the added force of Gust and his semblance, launched his punch forward and struck the side of the Ursa's head that sent a powerful shockwave which kicked up dust and even some branches off the trees. The impact not only shattered half of the Grimm's mask, but also sent it's lower jaw flying off the head and sending the entire Grimm spiraling dozens of feet through a few trees and left a huge trail of upturned earth.

At the end of the torn trail, there lay the Ursa Major that wasn't moving, missing its bottom jaw, half of it's entire mask broken off, and half of it's head caved in.

It's dead and reduced to ashes.

Gale watched the defeated Grimm fade away, as he took a deep and calm breaths, deactivating his semblance and going back to his default appearance.

"Strong and persistent that Grimm was." Gale said as he rubbed the dust off his shoulders and kept walking in the direction he was heading. "Something tells me that's only just the tip of the iceberg."

Though, Gale couldn't help but notice something he walked by and looked it at.

What he noticed were several upturned trees that were laying around in piles like overgrown firewood. Some were even piled on top of each other but most were scattered about, while also seeing large holes which suggests thats where the trees were torn out of them.

This seems odd as the trees were torn from the ground and their roots were visible with clumps of dirt still attached to them. Though, it appears something may have pushed or knocked them down out of their roots. But, they don't look like they were pushed down, as Gale can see, since he noticed the the way the holes look and that the trees were not close to their holes suggested they were YANKED out of the ground and CARRIED around. Further supported that Gale noticed the bark on some of the trees were heavily caved in as if something wrapped around the trees and crushed them a bit… or GRIPPED them and pulled them out of the ground.

"Yeah… definitely the tip of the iceberg…" Gale muttered and kept walking, feeling a little unease of what this forest is hiding from the watchful eyes of society.

* * *

**One mile away. **

Adam Taurus is currently on guard and kept his hand close to Wilt's handle, knowing there may be a Grimm around every corner he's walking towards in these woods so he's not taking chances of relaxing and letting his guard down.

It's already been some time, though, that he hasn't encountered a Grimm or anybody else so far.

But it didn't last long as he swore he saw something move in the corner of his eye from his mask, and heard the snapping of twigs nearby which put him on guard and gripped the handle of Wilt but has yet to draw it out.

He kept his sights towards the location where he swore he saw and heard the source coming from, tightly gripping Wilt in preparation to attack. After half a minute of staring in the direction where he thinks the Grimm is there… he sees and hears nothing. Adam's instincts even gone silent of the possible danger of a Grimm in that direction.

Adam calms down and loosens his grip on his sword, thinking it's probably a deer or a rabbit.

He turns his attention back to his path and steps forward…. only the moment he took that step, the ground erupted beneath him as something was bursting out from underground as a giant mouth of razor sharp teeth tried to chomp his leg.

With his trained and quick reflexes, Adam instantly leaped out of harm's way and widened the distance between him and his attacker, instantly grabbing hold of Wilt the moment he landed and got into his battle stance.

Standing in the middle of the upturned hole is a Grimm but it resembles some kind of bipedal reptilian creature that has a pair of hind limbs with sharp claws and a tail but no forelimbs. It's stubby head has a familiar white mask in red markings, sharp teeth, and four eye sockets. It's body is covered in bony white scutes that cover its body and sharp dorsal plates running across its back and tail.

It's a Creep. And this one seemed to have snooped up on him that it almost got him by surprise from beneath his feet.

Luckily, Adam has his sights on it and he's more than ready to slay it. The Creep snarled and growled at the bull faunus who doesn't bat an eye and remains focused, ightly gripping his sword, ready to draw and land an accurately precise slash on the Grimm.

With that in mind, Adam watches the Grimm snarl and charge at him full speed, still gripping Wilt and staying in place as if he's letting the Grimm come to him and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Just as the Creep was within range and lunged forward, with its mouth open and teeth bared, Adam narrowed his eyes behind his mask and slightly drawn Wilt out of Blush.

Than Adam makes his move.

SHING!

In a split second, both the Creep and Adam are standing still and away from each other with their backs turned. Adam appears to put Wilt back into Blush with an audible "clack".

The Creep suddenly let out a weak growl as its own head got cleanly sliced off, disintegrating once it hit the ground. Its body collapses, moments after, and it too breaks apart into nothing.

But Adam wasn't out of the woods yet, figuratively and literally, as he knows Creeps travel in packs.

Adam felt the ground around him start to shake and tremble, as several more Creeps burst out of the ground which sent large clumps of dirt scattering.

In no time, Adam is now surrounded by even more Creeps, including one that's an alpha Creep that's bigger, meaner, and has bigger dorsal spines that are razor sharp

This alpha Grimm is known as the Creeper.

Again, Adam isn't deterred and remains as focused as ever. Besides, he's faced far worse than this, Grimm or not, so this shouldn't be hard for him.

Wanting to make it easier, he instantly draws Wilt again and dashes towards the Creeper, intending to take it out first since it poses a bigger threat than all the other Creeps combined. But the Creeper is far smarter than the other Creeps and quickly responds by quickly turning around and started kicking clumps of dirt and pebbles at Adam which forced the young man to cover his face with his arm… mostly because he doesn't want to have his mask damaged or knocked off.

Just as he recovered, the Creeper already burrowed under ground, intending to let the other Creeps wear him down and plans to ambush him by surprise when he's distracted.

Adam was a little annoyed with this since he doesn't have a proper counter against burrowing enemies so he's gonna have to take his time with the Grimm that are already on the surface. Thankfully, most of the Creeps seem to choose to stay above ground and attack him directly.

Adam changes tactics and decides to focus on the Creeps above ground, darting ahead and attacking the closest one before any of them made their next move. He unleashed several slices on that one which dropped dead and ran to another and sliced it's head open in a vertical fashion.

And with that, all the remaining Creeps snarl and attack. Adam goes on the offensive and begins slicing and dicing with impressive skills and accurate precision that he's able to keep the Creeps at bay, each one that got too close is chopped in half, decapitated, or impaled. Some got lucky to get close enough to bite or disembowel him with their clawed feet but the faunus either dodges or blocks their attacks with Wilt. Every time their teeth or claws impact against the blade, it slightly glows blue which is what he's using his semblance to make Wilt absorb the kinetic energy of the Creeps' physical attacks and storing it for a stronger attack.

Shortly after a few Creeps have fallen, more Creeps suddenly pop out of the ground and join the fray, as if they are replacing their fallen brethren. As Adam continued to persist, the Creeper burst out from beneath him, due to its larger size, sending large clumps of dirt and even some rocks flying. Adam could was forced upward as the Creeper was now in the air with him.

It planned to catch Adam off guard from beneath him to send him up into the air which leaves the faunus vulnerable long enough to attack him, as it's about to slash him with its sharp claws on its powerful legs.

But he's far from helpless as recovers in midair and blocks the oncoming strike with Wilt which sent tons of sparks flying everywhere but the sword glowed even brighter. Adam used the velocity from the hit to spin around slashed the Creeper which left a nasty wound across it's underside, sending it flying across the forest floor, and slamming into the ground but not enough to kill it.

The masked swordsman lands gracefully and sees a few more Creeps popping out of the ground but not as many before.

To bring it up a notch, Adam grabs Blush with his free hand and now he's dual wielding both a sword and a shotgun-sheath in combat. More Creeps begint to drop like flies, whenever if they are chopped to pieces by Wilt or filled with holes by Blush, it looked easy to Adam but he's deeply concentrated and doing his best to not get touched.

Nearby, the Creeper recovers and stands back up, snarling at Adam and charges again. Adam noticed the larger Grimm coming towards him and quickly slashed two more Creeps before leaping high into the air and towards the Creeper, throwing Wilt which spins like a buzzsaw.

The Creeper saw the spinning projectile and tried to dodge it by leaping out of the way but it wasn't fast enough and ended up getting a nasty gash it's back and side as the buzzsaw sword sliced through it like a buzzsaw through soft tissue, regardless of the Grimm's armor. The Grimm screeched and fell on its side while Wilt stuck itself in the ground blade first. Adam landed away form the Creeps and rolled several times towards Wilt. The moment he stopped rolling next to his blade, he grabs the hilt and yanked it out of the ground, turning his attention back to the Creeps.

The Creeper recovers and decides another tactic to catch the faunus off guard. It snarled at the other Creeps, ordering them to follow it's commands and they obeyed. After that, the Creeper borrowed underground yet again while the Creeps all roar in unison and charge together like a small stampede.

Adam doesn't falter and takes his combat stance, with drawing Wilt back into Blush, still gripping the hilt, and activating his semblance. The blue glow on Wilt glowed even brighter, thanks to all the kinetic energy his sword absorbed, the same goes for his hair and blue emblems on his mask, though, not as bright and intense as the time he used it back in Forever Fall but still bright enough to be noticeable.

The Grimm kept charging, not even taking the possible hint what is about to happen in front of them, even if it's gonna kill them.

Without warning, Adam unsheathes Wilt in an Iaijutsu quick-draw fashion that he slices upwards which creates a blue tinted, crescent shape, vertical air slash that flew forward so fast that it left a carved trail behind it. But Adam didn't stop there as he holds Wilt with both hands and swings again in a horizontal fashion that he creates a similar blue tinted air slash but it's horizontal and it too raced towards the Grimm, not far behind the first air slash.

The Creeps were too slow to react nor even comprehend what's coming their way as the vertical air slash easily bisected the Creep in front and a few more directly behind it. Before the remaining Creeps could respond, the horizontal slash chopped the rest in half as the chopped pieces of the Grimm flailed in the air until they scattered across the forest floor. Like many fallen Grimm, the remains of the Creeps break down into ash and drift away in the wind.

He pretty much slaughtered the remaining pack of Creeps in just two moves.

At the same time, when the Creeps were getting chopped by the ranged air slashes, the Creeper bursted out right from behind Adam and spun in midair, intending to land a powerful blow with it's sharp and mighty tail. But Adam anticipated that and ducked, easily avoiding it. While he ducked and the Creeper was about to land on its feet, Adam spun around and did a low swing that chopped off one of the Creeper's legs.

The alpha Grimm screeched in pain and collapsed to the ground, unable to keep its balance, due to the lack of one leg. Before it could even do anything, Adam instantly stabbed Wilt downwards with both of his hands straight into the Creeper's head which made it go stiff and stopped struggling. With one firm twist of the sword, the Creeper instantly disintegrated.

With the threat now neutralized, Adam takes a breather and sheathes Wilt back into Blush again. Though, he knows he's going to be using it again soon but he's pretty good at using it when drawing it.

Through all of this, while focused on the initiation, he couldn't help…. but think about how everyone else is doing out there, especially Blake…. and even Ruby Rose. Sure, he deeply cares about Blake and thinks about her at times, especially when they are separate. Not that he thinks about her all the time and knows Blake can take care of herself as much as he can by himself, it's just that this event is going to bring a lot of upcoming events that he couldn't predict, whenever if good or bad, that brings some concern to what the future holds.

What makes it a bit hard for Adam that he's been with Blake for a long time that they are borderline inseparable, giving each other good company, since they first met in Menagerie, and stayed close when they were in the White Fang. The only close friends Adam and Blake, besides each other, were Ilia Amitola, a chameleon faunus who was really close to Blake and apparently had a crush on her, and Vlad Tradat, the bat faunus, Adam's other close friend and former teammate… who was almost like a brother to him…. and he can still remember the look in his eyes that read shock and betrayal when he and Blake left him behind on that train in Forever Fall….. he even wonders how Ilia feels too… probably something similar to what Vlad felt but likely less angry...

As for Ruby Rose, on the other hand… is an interesting young girl that seems to have caught his attention about her. Regardless of looking younger and seemingly being so innocent due to her bubbly and enthusiastic nature, Adam has seen past that and she's far more than that.

That made him start thinking about Weiss… the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Despite their limited contact… it didn't go well for them as Adam can tell she's not much of a ray of sunshine to him and Blake. It's likely she doesn't like faunus so that's a given but that's the least of his concerns if she hates faunus or not. Just what the heck is she doing here in all places, attending Beacon Academy, nonetheless? It's not like Atlas doesn't have the best academies of its own which would be worthy for Weiss to attend to no question. So why attend here in Vale?

Adam doesn't have the answers to that but he can't help he may find them very soon the longer he hangs around with Weiss… if they can get along since they never really started out friendly with each other….

At the same time, just the mere mention of Weiss and her company has started to remind him of Atlas…. which suddenly made Adam visualize something that made him feel momentarily tormented… it was brief but he pictured something that was glowing orange… made of letters… and it was burning hot the closer it got to him. It made the left side of his face feel sore and hot that he had to stop thinking about it and gently placed his hand on his mask where the left side of his face hides behind…

"_I can't be thinking about that right now…." _Adam thought as he regained his focus to his surroundings and kept walking.

As Adam continues his path, a stray Creep came out of nowhere and blindly charged at Adam, not even acknowledging that it's brethren fell to this faunus.

Without even taking his eyes off his path, nor losing focus on what he's thinking, not even noticing the Creep coming at him from the side, Adam casually draws his sword and slices the Grimm which killed it that it's corpse tumbled in midair from the powerful slash and faded to ash before it even touched the ground.

The bull faunus sheathed Wilt back into Blush and carried on… but he momentarily halted as he sees something in front of him.

It looks like some kind of big hole, at least 10 feet wide and dozens more across, but it's only up to knee height so it's not much of a hazard to him…. but something seems wrong with this hole and Adam can't help but feel a little dreaded the more he looks at it for some reason.

That's when he finally realized something… he noticed the odd shape the hole is. It almost… resembles that of a foot… a with four oversized toes.

That's when Adam finally puts the pieces together…It's a footprint. And based on the size of the foot, the owner must be gigantic…. and very likely a Grimm….

"_Something tells me this is not going to be an easy…." _Adam thought in slight worry. Despite facing off all kinds of Grimm in his life, including a few Nevermores, King Taijutus, and Death Stalkers…. he can't help but feel worried this Grimm is on another level….

Regardless, Adam carefully stepped into the hole, crossed it, and stepped out of it on the other side, as he continues to keep walking forward.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

More and more partners and even teams are slowly being formed, heck, some have even made it to the temple where they needed to retrieve the relics they are searching for.

Trudging through the forest is Nigel who is taking his surroundings very well and munching on his dark chocolate bar again. He hasn't encountered any Grimm yet but he can easily locate them with his semblance.

Problem is, as much as he can spot them, he can't identify what type of Grimm they are due to their lack of their soul and he can only sense the negative energies they feed on which are shapeless dark clouds that only his semblance can detect them. He can only guess what type of Grimm it may possibly be, based on the size and density of the dark clouds, along with how much negativity they contain.

While he was looking out for Grimm, he's also looking out for any potential partners, not that he really minds who he ends up with as his semblance may help him read them better which may help him communicate with them better.

Thanks to years of training with his semblance, he's able to sense aura at farther distances but only less accurately with emotions as they take more focus to read. His current distance limit is 5 miles in diameter, any further beyond that limit, traces of emotion and aura disappear from his vision and sense.

Even right now, while being scattered across the forest, he can still sense some familiar bits of emotions and colors of aura from different locations in different directions.

Nearby, about three miles away, he sensed two aura signatures; One that's magenta and other that's bright pink. The one that's magenta is facing off against a Grimm… it must be a large and powerful one, either a Death Stalker or a King Taijitu. The pink one is not too far away and appears to be heading towards the green one… which is also moving through the treetops….

It's Ren and Nora; and it seems they will be partners this year. Nigel couldn't help but feel that it's no coincidence that those two ended up being partners, since he could sense a lot of affection and care from Nora that's focused on Ren who also shows bits of affection back towards Nora… and yet they apparently are treating each other as just friends.

He looked in another direction and, about two miles away, he sees two aura signatures in the color of red and white, respectively… and the white aura seems annoyed and reluctant while the red one seems pretty happy and full of joy for some reason being with the white aura.

He didn't need to guess it's Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee as he can recognize their aura and emotions he sensed earlier before being launched…. And he wonders how those two will get along with quite polar opposite in personalities but he can;t help but assure himself those two will get along quite well.

After surveying enough and wanting to not waste anymore energy on his semblance, since it does slowly drain his aura, he deactivates it and goes back to eating his dark chocolate bar again, only eating halfway, wrapping it back up, and putting it back into his pocket.

That is, when he was doing that and his semblance wasn't activated, something was hovering above in the treetops and it begins taking position to strike. It isn't human and looks more like some kind of giant insect… with extended and sharp forelimbs, and bulging, glowing, red eyes.

Now that Nigel is in the right spot, the giant insect drops down from above and dives towards him, intending to skewer and chop him with its forelimbs.

But Nigel, even without his semblance on, can hear it coming from above and rolls out of the way in time before the sharp forelimbs easily impale the ground that it even sent cracks around it.

Nigel rolled to safety and instantly draws his bladerangs into his hands, ready to fight this Grimm.

Standing before Nigel is a Grimm that's twice the size of an adult man and resembles a giant praying mantis. It has large wings that are folded and encased, pointy antenna, a pair of giant compound eyes which have the same color as all the other Grimm, and especially those sharp and spiky forelimbs that resemble a pair of scythes. Like every other Grimm, it too has the same color pattern with a dark exoskeleton, white bone armor covering much of its abdomen and the joints of its limbs, and the familiar red markings.

The Grimm lifts its forelimbs from the ground which left gaping holes where the forelimbs hit and turns its head towards Nigel, letting out a snarling hiss.

It's none other than a Reaper Mantide. A rather large and aggressive praying mantis Grimm that are known for their sharp and powerful forelimbs, their strong and nasty mandibles, and especially their ferocious tempers towards humans and faunus.

This one was flying just above the treeline and spotted Nigel nearby which instantly went towards him.

"I take it this must be your way of greeting visitors in these woods?" Nigel said to the Grimm, despite knowing they are nothing but bloodthirsty nightmares only existing to kill and maim. "I bet you also don't get a lot of visitors often." He added.

The Mantis Grimm hisses even louder, as if it answered his insults or just wants to rip him to shreds.

"Well, in that case, I'll be more than happy to accept your way of greetings with my very own." Nigel said as twirls his bladerangs and presses a button on each one which causes the blades on the edges to appear again. The Reaper Mantide hissed in return as it scrapes it's two forelimbs together which causes some sparks to fly.

"Show me what you got, ya twisted looking pile of boney grime." Nigel mocked which made the Mantide shriek in return.

Before the Grimm could attack, Nigel made his first move and throws one of his bladerangs which spun towards the Mantide but the mantis Grimm had some quick reflexes as it leaned out of the way and the boomerang missed but quickly came back to Nigel who caught it.

That did not go unnoticed as the mantis Grimm watched the projectile come back to its owner…. It's learning.

The mantis Grimm charged forward with blinding speeds that it almost caught Nigel off guard. It raised both its forelimbs as it prepares to grab Nigel and bite him with it's sharp mandibles but the kangaroo faunus easily leaped out of the way as the forelimb ended up grabbing nothing.

Nigel ended up leaping over the Grimm and landed right behind it with an impressive somersault. Once he landed from behind it, Nigel attacks by leaping and slashing with his bladerangs but the Mantide countered by quickly turning around and blocking one of the bladed boomerang with one forelimb that sent sparks flying.

The Mandtide attacks with its other forelimb but Nigel dodges again by leaping back into the air and throws the other bladerang. This time, the mantis Grimm was ready and swats the weapon with a backhanded slash out of the air and ends up impaling a nearby tree. Leaving Nigel with only one bladerang to fight with.

The Grimm screeches again and begins unleashing a series of unrelenting swipes with its sharp forelimbs. Nigel starts swerving left and right, avoiding the swings when he can, finding it tricky to block with only one remaining bladerang in hand. Normally, he does have a method of quickly getting his other bladerang back but, he shouldn't do that when he's still dodging and wanting to avoid his aura getting damaged, until he has an opening.

Just as the Mantide made another swing, Nigel blocked it and countered by landing several punches to its head, followed by a tail whip, and ended with the faunus balancing on his tail and giving out a rather powerful drop kick right in the midsection which actually sent the Grimm skidding back that it almost lost its balance but used it clawed feet to stop itself from skidding back any further. This gave Nigel enough time to extend his free hand out towards his boomerang embedded in the tree.

Just in case he loses his signature weapons, since he started training with them, Nigel has made a type of magnetic device built into his fingerless gloves that attracts only to the metal his bladerangs are made of.

The bladerang in the tree was pulled out by Nigel's magnetic device and instantly spun back to him at hand. Now back to two in hand.

Just as Nigel retrieved the other weapon, the Mantide was already dashing towards the faunus at full speed and had both of its forelimbs raised up to strike him down. Nigel had no time to dodge or counter attack so he was forced to raise both his bladed boomerangs to block head on. The forelimbs came down hard on the bladerangs which sent a small shockwave around them and small cracks formed beneath their feet, while sparks flew everywhere.

Nigel gritted his teeth and kept his footing, pushing back as hard as he can. Though, as much as he was, this Grimm proved to have the upper hand as it started to slowly overpower him that it's even pushing him back, thanks to being taller and having six legs with sharp claws that give it better traction and footing to the ground.

Nigel couldn't help but admit this Grimm is quite a formidable one and even stronger than him in a direct grappling brawl which they both are in.

"_Crikey. This bugger is stronger than it looks. Bet it could even overpower and kill Tiny with relative ease" _Nigel thought to himself, recalling Tiny the Tasmanian Tiger faunus that he fought back in Bardus and considers he wouldn't stand much of a chance against this Reaper Mantide.

During their tussle, the mantis Grimm even started lunging its head down and kept attempting to bite down on Nigel's face with its sharp and powerful mandibles but the faunus kept leaning out of the way and barely avoiding the jaws, otherwise Nigel would be getting some rather nasty bug bites.

Eventually, before Nigel can devise a counterattack, the Mantide managed to pin him against a large tree so hard that the tree itself almost snapped in half but stayed firm. Nigel grunted from the impact but stayed focused on the Grimm that's trying to maul him. The giant mantis tried to bite him once again but Nigel leans his head to the side once more, only not far enough to have a sharp mandible graze his cheek which was protected by his aura but he still felt how badly it stung when it grazed him. Missing it's intended target, the Grimm ended up biting into the tree and tore out a large chunk of bark, cambium, and sapwood from it.

Feeling ticked off and wanting this Grimm off of him, the faunus took the opportunity and bent both of his legs back, sending out a mighty double kick into the Mantide's midsection hard enough to actually launch it back, sending it crashing onto its back with a loud thud.

He pressed a button on each on his weapons and activated the Fire Dust which caused the patterns to turn red and ignited the bladed tips on fire. Now he has a pair of flaming bladerangs and calmly glared at the Reaper Mantide which got back up on its feet and screeched at him even louder. Now it suddenly started rushing up to him without giving Nigel room to maneuver as it started swiping and biting even faster and more aggressively that Nigel had to stay more focused to dodge, block, and counter. Not only were sparks flying, but also pieces of ember, upon each hit between Nigel and the Grimm.

"_And it keeps getting more furious the longer it fights. I need to end it quickly." _Nigel noted to himself, not wanting to waste too much time with this Grimm since there are likely far more vicious and stronger ones out there and he there's no doubt for that to be true.

Just as the Mantide misses again, Nigel throws one of his bladerangs out which now looked like a flaming disc. The giant insect moved again but it was too slow to completely avoid as one of its antennas was sliced off and it screeched in pain from the burning sensation. But Nigel doesn't let up as he also sending a series of slashes across the Mantide's midsection which left burning gashes. The Grimm shrieked in agony and raised its forelimbs to block the assault which only left the bone armor slightly charred.

As it continued to guard itself from the blazing assault, the Grimm unfolded its wing case. Just as Nigel sent out another slash, the Grimm swatted the burning blade aside and leaped back with several flaps of its wings to widen the gap in order to recuperate.

The other bladerang that Nigel threw earlier returned to him as he caught it in his free hand.

Nigel was starting to pant a little due to having to fight this long and against a Grimm this strong and persistent. While the mantis doesn't show signs of fatigue, the damage across its body says otherwise with it's burnt wounds and half missing antenna. .

After a few more seconds of silence, the Mantide screeches yet again and starts vibrating its wings so fast that its started to hover off the ground and into the air. It suddenly darts forward so fast that it's like a blur and barreled towards Nigel at supersonic speeds. Nigel barely had time to react and dodge as he rolled out of the way a split second before the Grimm rammed into him.

Just as Nigel stopped rolling, the Mantide has already made a sharp turn and was already darting at him once more. The young faunus couldn't react in time as the Grimm hits him head on at full speed.

However, at the last moment before impact, Nigel pressed another button on his bladerangs and the patterns turned from red to dark orange which means the Fire Dust has been switched with Earth Dust. He crossed his bladerangs close together and formed a shield made of solid stone which took the brunt of the Reaper Mantide's full head on collision which were reduced to rubble.

At the same time, Nigel was sent flying back by the force of the Grimm, regardless of reducing the damage upon himself with the rock shield, it still took a decent chunk of his aura out of him.

As the kangaroo faunus flew back, he slammed through a tree and through the upper portion of a boulder that shattered and made him tumble in midair. But it didn't stop there as he now started tumbling down a nearby steep hill.

Nigel was too disoriented and moving too fast to stop himself as he kept rolling down the steep hillside until he reached the edge and took a thirty foot drop which ended him hitting the ground in a loud thud.

Upon hitting the ground, Nigel laid there, as his crocodile teeth laced barmah hat, which fell off his head during the rolling, gently fell next to him.

Nigel quickly regained his senses and shook his head that got bits of leaves and dirt out of his hair and face. He looked over to his hat, picked it up, wiped the leaves and twigs off of it, and placed it back on his head. He stands back up and looks up towards where he fell from but doesn't see the Mantide anywhere.

Wanting to feel a little better before having to face the Grimm again, since it's likely tracking him down right now, he reaches into his pocket in wanting another taste of dark chocolate ... but he suddenly realizes his pocket is empty….

Nigel's blood ran cold as his hand kept, instinctively, grasping in the empty pocket in a desperate attempt to grasp his favorite candy bar.

That's when he noticed something in the corner of his eye that's laying several feet away from him….

There lays Nigel's chocolate bar… unwrapped and broken to pieces... covered in dirt, leaves, twigs, tree sap, and worms… the chocolate bar has been totally wasted.

Nigel stares at his now ruined candy bar with a blank expression that it's almost like his emotions have been erased and he stands there motionless, unable how to respond to this.

Behind him, a loud thud was heard and it reveals itself to be the Reaper Mantide which found Nigel and screeches at him.

Nigel doesn't respond and continues to stare at the now soiled chocolate bar that it's sweetness is tainted and ruined beyond recovery.

With the sounds of the Grimm behind him, Nigel than started to realize the Mantide is directly responsible for getting his chocolate ruined…..

That's when the Mantide suddenly felt a sudden rising spike of negative emotions coming from the kangaroo faunus… and most of it is rage.

"**You…" **Nigel muttered darkly, as his fists tighten even more that his veins become visible.

The Grimm tilts its head to the side and can't comprehend why he's suddenly so angry… unaware that it pressed Nigel's berserk, despite sensing it.

At that moment, Nigel swiftly turns his head over his shoulder and gives off a rather bone chilling glare towards the mantis Grimm, while his eyes glowed violet rather brightly.

"**Now you've **_**really**_** done it." **He said with a venomous tone mixed to it. He isn't using his trump card of his semblance but he's now _very_ angry towards Grimm who ruined his chocolate bar… and it's gonna pay for that. A split second after what Nigel announced, he instantly darted full speed at the Grimm that it too responded by flying at full speed towards him, about to decapitate him with a well placed swipe of its forelimb..

Just as the two were about to hit head on, Nigel suddenly fell to his knees and slid beneath the Grimm that flew above him… and he raised his bladerang upward and stabs into the bottom of the Mantide's lower abdomen which dragged along the rest of the way, leading a very deep and long gash across the abdomen.

The Grimm screeched in extreme pain from that rather painful attack but it kept flying, albeit more clumsily as its starting to slowly lose its strength.

Just as it turned around, Nigel was already unleashing another drop kick, only more powerful than the last one. The Mantide shrieks again from the kick that it went flying back and slamming into the cliffside so hard several deep cracks spread around it.

Before the Grimm could recover, Nigel threw one of his bladerangs which impaled one of the Mantide's forelimbs which also stuck it against the cliffside. Before it could respond, the boomerang's patterns glowed blue and froze the forelimb in a block of ice which also froze against the wall of the cliff, trapping the Grimm.

Before the Reaper Mantide could attempt to break the ice, Nigel was already sprinting towards it that it was forced to focus on him and swung it's free forelimb at him… only for Nigel to suddenly catch the forelimb with his free hand… and chopped it off, right at the joint, with his other bladerang.

The Grimm screeches yet again but even it didn't get time to finish as Nigel suddenly rams the sharp end of the forelimb he chopped off… into the Mantide's compound eye which sent out wisps of smoke and black gunk out of the gaping wound.

At that moment, the Reaper Mantide unleashed the loudest pained screech it could ever muster before Nigel finished it off with a swipe of his bladerang…. Decapitating the oversized bug Grimm with one slash.

Everything goes silent as the Grimm head tumbles in midair and breaks down once it hit the ground. The headless body slumps down but not all the way due to its arm still encased in ice and stuck to the wall but it too fades to ash seconds after.

With that all done, Nigel takes a deep breath and starts to calm down after doing all that. He sure didn't use his trump card but that still was a little exhausting since he did push himself against a tough and persistent Grimm like that one.

Though, his victory wasn't worth celebrating, as he slowly turned his attention back to his chocolate bar that is still broken to pieces and beyond being saved.

Truthfully, as much as he enjoys his chocolate bar, there's no point making a fuss over it and this isn't the first time he lost his chocolate bars and they are easy to get, so he considers getting another one when he finishes the initiation and gets his team.

Nigel reaches out to the other bladerang still encased in ice that's attached to the cliffside and lets the magnetic device in his fingerless glove do the work. The bladerang started to spin like a buzzsaw and carved it's way out of the ice and spins back into Nigel's waiting hand. After that, he strapped his bladerangers back to his hips and looks around where he's at and where he should go.

Nigel decides to use his semblance again and activates it, scanning his surroundings. Not far away, two and a half miles, he now senses a crimson red aura.

"_Pyrrha Nikos." _ Nigel thought, feeling the sense of righteousness and selflessness coming from her, but he can also sense other bits of emotion that seems unusual for a prodigy and champion like her… she seems to be focused on something or _someone _with curiosity and interest. He doesn't know for sure who that is but…

That's when Nigel sensed a sudden increase and intensity of aura, not to mention Pyrrha is calm and focused… almost like she's chanting as she's trying to use her aura on something… or someone. Eventually, he sensed another aura that appears in his vision and semblance Nigel recognized the technique of semblance unlocking when one individual uses his/her aura to unlock the aura from another individual who hasn't unlocked their aura before. Naturally, some people can unlock their own aura by themselves while others need the assistance from another individual to assist them in unlocking their aura,

That's when Nigel started to sense something familiar about this new aura that he now detects…. It's very familiar from the time he sensed someone not too long ago back in the locker room whom he became acquainted with

"_Jaune Arc?" _The faunus said in slight curiosity, discovering it's the same blonde boy who almost lost his number to his locker which Nigel recovered for him. Yes, it's no doubt Jaune as he recognized that bit of slight self esteem issues and awkwardness coming off of the aura… but he also feels bits of confidence and gratitude coming off of him…. but Nigel than senses something coming from Pyrrha that's focused on Jaune… it's almost like she's interested in him in some way.

"_Even if it's merely a coincidence they became partners by crossing paths, why does a reigning champion, like Pyrrha Nikos, of all people, feel interested towards somebody like him?" _Nigel isn't one to judge other people since there may be a reason why Pyrrha seems to like him and keeps it to himself but he's still a tad curious until he needs to get going.

One thing is, though, he's not alone in this area and he can sense another presence … a very familiar one… and it's colored green. Nigel turns around and sees who it is… and he can't help but mentally sigh who he's partnering up with.

It's Rocky Rhode Runner; The roadrunner faunus whom he met yesterday.

"Oh… it's you." Nigel announced to Rocky, in his way of greeting him at the very moment.

Though, despite his rather not-so-inviting way of greeting him, Rocky wasn't responding… because he saw the whole spectacle… well, most of it that took place down here where he saw the whole part of Nigel fighting and annihilating that Grimm.

What's more… is that his jaw has dropped so far down it's touching the ground and he's standing at full height no less.

Rocky managed to recover from the shock and grabbed the bottom of his jaw from the ground and shoved it back up into its default position of his mouth and gave a response.

"Yep… it's me alright." Rocky responded, keeping his composure and sounding like he wasn't impressed, regardless of that his jaw literally dropped to the ground seconds ago. However, what Rocky isn't aware of is that Nigel is reading his emotions like an open book with his semblance and Nigel can tell Rocky was too awestruck at how badass the outback faunus was which amused Nigel a little.

"So how's that neck of yours? Still a little sore from yesterday?" Nigel asked with a slight smirk on his face.

Rocky couldn't help but grow a tick mark on his forehead but he kept his composure and smirked back. Though, annoyed as he is towards this kangaroo faunus, especially for choking him, he can't help but feeling talking smack with this guy for his own kicks.

"Pretty fine, actually." Rocky answered, sounding like he is but Nigel can still sense his annoyance, sarcasm, and vaguely bits of amusement of his own from what happened yesterday. "As a matter of fact. I feel GREAT. Thank you very much" He boasted.

"Your welcome." Nigel responded that sounded a little snarky to the mix.

After their rather short, smack talking, spat, the two stared at each other in silence and kept their eye contact at each other, definitely confirming these two will be partners for Beacon. Rocky ends the silence by walking up to Nigel and both stared more intensely… until Rocky raised his arm and stretch forward as if he's asking for a handshake.

"As much as I like snarking with ya, why don't we start knowing each other." Rocky said that Nigel nodded in agreement. "Names Rocky… Rocky Rhode Runner." He greeted but had a rather serious look on his face to give Nigel the hint. "And before you say another smart ass thing about me, bub, it's a name that sounds like that of a roadrunner since that's what I am also as a faunus." He added

Nigel stared at his hand for a second but stretches his hand out and grasps Rocky's which made the two shake hands.

"Well the name's Nigel Arvo, mate." Nigel responded with his way of greeting "Quite an honors meeting ya."

"That I will tend to keep." Rocky answered with a grin like it's gonna be an interesting dynamic between them

"So it seems we're official partners now, eh?" Nigel says, pointing out the obvious to his new partner.

"Oh, pretty much, we are." Rocky replied with a smirk. "Might as well make the best of it… or we'll otherwise just end up as sitcom rivals for all I care."

"Likewise." Nigel agreed as they stopped shaking hands before Rocky continued.

"Well…. Let's go get the relic than. Standing and bickering ain't gonna cut it."

"Right." Nigel said, as he turned his semblance on again and noticed the direction some of the students are heading which may indicate the possible location of the "It's this way."

"Wait. How did you kno-... it's that semblance of yours, isn't it?" Rocky said with an obvious tone towards Nigel

"Right on, mate." Nigel confirmed and smirked. "And since I did say to you about I would or wouldn't tell ya about my semblance… seems I'm gonna have to tell ya now, if we're gonna have to work together as partners and a team."

"Alrighty then." Rocky says and admitted that it's a good point if they are gonna work together, than they are gonna have to know each other better. "So what is your semblance anyways?" Rocky says, not wanting to go until the long details as of now since they need to get moving.

"I'm an empath. I can basically read emotions." Nigel described his semblance which made Rocky raise an eyebrow.

"Read emotions, huh?... Can you also read minds?" He asked.

"That would be a telepath. I cannot read thoughts or what people are thinking, regardless of what they are feeling." Nigel pointed out. "Though, I can still locate where people are since I can feel their presence by their emotions and I can see their aura too."

"Ah. That's cool." Rocky admitted. "Well, to make it blunt about mine… well…" He tried to say how to describe his semblance. "Lets just say I'm something like a cartoon character…." He tried to explain in the best way possible to not make it confusing.

"Cartoon character?" Nigel said, a little confused, but also slightly curious.

"Yeah." Rocky confirmed. "Think of it like those looney characters that defy logic on a daily basis just for kicks and giggles."

Nigel couldn't help but admit that does sound pretty interesting and amusing, reminding him of the cartoon characters he used to watch as a kid on TV with his family…. as much as he could watch them.

"So that explains how your jaw literally dropped to the ground beyond the physical capacity for a human jaw." Nigel also noted.

"Well, it's not that simple." Rocky said about his power. "I can sort of defy the laws of physics and, to an extent, reality, as long as it's supposed to be funny and humorous. Believe me, even to this day, I can barely wrap my brain around that. Drawback is, though, any moment that is WAY too dramatic or serious… than I pretty much have to rely on my acrobats and double barreled revolvers."

"Well that's quite a rather weird but ironically fitting drawback in a place filled with bloodthirsty Grimm that would want to rip our faces off and gnaw on our bones." Nigel described casually without missing a beat.

"But still." Rocky said, trying to sound like he's not backing down. "I can still sort of use my semblance if I can make the situation funny enough."

"Than let's hope your humor is enough to bypass the dread and despair that follows the Grimm everywhere they go." Nigel says like it's the best he can support for Rocky at the moment.

Before Rocky can say anything else, Nigel suddenly felt a huge spike of aura that caught his attention elsewhere. What he saw far away was a yellow shaded aura signature… and he felt such great pressure and intensity, even from far away. Not to mention he also can sense a LOT of anger and ferocity coming from that same signature ... and all that fired up rage is directed at two clouds of darkness… which are Grimm.

"And what did you just sense now?" Rocky asked nonchalantly.

Nigel continued to watch the yellow signature demolish one of the Grimm for a few seconds before answering.

"Nothing much. Just some Grimm and an aura signature that's yellow… and really angry. Whatever those Grimm did to that person and caused such an outburst… has signed their death warrant." Nigel noted but he sensed another aura signature that's purple and it appears to be heading towards the yellow aura signature.

"Kinda like you?" Rocky pointed out about Nigel's outburst when his chocolate bar was ruined.

Nigel turned his head and stared at Rocky with a rather serious but otherwise nonchalant expression but that also made Rocky sweatdrop and regret what he said out loud.

"Uh… what I meant to say that it sucks to be them." He slightly stuttered and tried to change the topic. "I bet 50 lien and my private magazine collection that's Yang." Rocky added, since he learned a little more about Yang from Ruby when they talked and learned more about each other. Though, Ruby partly told him about Yang for his sake and safety as much as it was to know about her.

"Private magazines?" Nigel turned and looked at Rocky with a raised eyebrow, wondering what Rocky meant by that which made Rocky stutter for a split second.

"A-Anyways!" Rocky announced, changing the topic yet again. "We better get going and find those relics, along recruiting two more partners to form our official team!" He declared and marched forward with Nigel casually walking next to him. "And, FYI, if we get an awesome kickass team, I shall declare myself as team leader will be leading us to bring peace to Remnant!"

"Leader, you say?" Nigel said, sounding like he's doubtful with his partner's claims. "Tch. If swines could fly and it's raining cats and dogs, I'll give you a lick of convenience to see you as team leader."

This gave Rocky an annoyed look on his face with steam pouring out of his ears.

"Besides. It's not YOU that decides who becomes leader, mate. It's up to Ozpin to decide who fits for the leader of the team. He IS probably watching us through his probes as we speak."

This made Rocky looked surprised and a bit embarrassed of not realizing that. His head suddenly turned into that of a braying donkey for a split second.

"Oh… alright then." Rocky says as his head turned back to normal, as if he understood it, darting his eyes around to see any probes but doesn't see any in sight.

"Let's go get the relics, mate. If we're lucky, we'll be the first to get there." Nigel said and started sprinting through the forest.

"Okay. Let's-a-go!" Rocky shouted and both carried on through the forest to find the relics, as he too sprints and eventually runs right next to Nigel at an equal pace, keeping up with him with relative ease.

* * *

**Beacon Cliff.**

Back on the Beacon Cliff, there stands Ozpin who is still standing at the edge towards the horizon of the forest but is watching his tablet and watching everyone's movement, hoping they do good and especially they survive the test.

Behind him is Glynda who's walking up to him and carrying her own tablet, monitoring everything that's happening in the initiation.

"Another pair has been formed, sir." Glynda noted and inspected her tablet as she tapped her finger on one of the videos which is Ren and Nora that she zooms in.

"Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." Glynda said, further inspecting the two new partners but narrows her eyes, as if she's feeling pity to one of them.

"Poor boy." Glynda says, sympathizing towards Ren. "I cannot imagine those two possibly getting along."

She taps on another feed which now shows Pyrrha and Jaune, which is confirmed they are partners now. "Still, he's better off than Miss Nikos."

"Hmmmm…" Ozpin hummed, as he turned his eyes towards Glynda with a look that's saying "are you sure about that?" but doesn't say anything else and stares back his own scroll.

That's when Glynda felt suspicious… something seems very strange about this Jaune that she can't be sure about him, despite trying to look into the best of everyone who tries to become a huntsman and huntress.

"I don't care what the transcripts of his say about him. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat, especially after Miss Nikos unlocked his aura… which I find very suspicious right now." She pointed out as she saw the part when Pyrrha unlocked Jaune's aura for him. Normally, every student should have their aura unlocked before entering the initiation and Jaune here apparently hasn't."

Glynda than starts thinking this shouldn't be ignored and may want to dig deeper into this to uncover what she thinks Jaune may be hiding. "When the tests are over, I'm going to get to the bottom of this and ask him some questions when he returns… that is, IF he survives." The blonde pointed out in concern.

Ozpin said nothing and keeps his eyes on his own tablet but that doesn't mean he hasn't heard every word she said... but even than, he finds Jaune interesting as well. Something tells him an average joe with no

Glynda than focuses on one video feed that shows Nigel and Rocky who are currently sprinting through the woods.

"Anyways. Another team pair has just been confirmed. Nigel Arvo….. and Rocky Road Runner." Glynda dryly said when she mentioned Rocky…. the same faunus boy that caused such a ruckus last night in the ballroom. Much to her annoyance and disdain, Glynda got much of her beauty sleep taken away from her when she was forced to get out of bed and march to the ballroom when she could hear the loud screams all the way from there to her own room that was in the teacher dorm rooms.

Even right now, after Rocky explained everything to her, which she believes him and vents her annoyance on the girls that kept calling to Rocky and even threatened to kick them out if they ever do that again, she's still a little peeved at him for losing some sleep to break up the chaos and more so for wasting more time helping him find a different place to sleep until she chose Nevin, much to the custodian's reluctance and outright disdain towards that idea.

"Those two do make a pretty formidable partnership, if I say so myself." Glynda dryly admitted, seeing that those two do appear to fit the picture as a formidable team. She ain't counting on it just yet and shall continue observing them, both in battle and other important huntsman tasks. She noticed they are heading to the relics at such a fast pace that it does impress her a little.

"At their current pace, they should be reaching the temple in just a few minutes." Glynda notes and starts walking away but turns and looks back at Ozpin.

"Speaking of which. What did you use as relics this year?" She asked but Ozpin doesn't answer or even turns over his shoulder to look at her. He's looking at his own tablet which focuses on the feeds of Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, whom are pretty much partners now… even if they are bickering at each other which isn't a good start for those two.. Hopefully, they should get along soon.

"Professor Ozpin?" Glynda said again but Ozpin still doesn't' answer…. he than focuses on two other feeds next to Ruby and Weiss' feed…. showing one of Adam Taurus and the other that is Gale Hathi…. both towards each other.

* * *

**Elsewhere.**

Deeper in the forest, up on a hillside which heads towards a mountain, one would notice Adam Taurus is heading up massive hill that leads to a small but still relatively large mountain. Up here, there are many less trees and more rock spires that litter the landscape.

Adam believes heading up there would help get a better view of the forest which may help him get a better view where the temple may be. Eventually, after scanning the place, he can see what looks like a temple which is where the relics may be… but between him and the temple is a deep and vast gorge that stretches on for miles and miles across the valley. Adam looks at it and wonders if it's worth crossing through the massive gorge to get to the otherside. Considering there is no other way, unless he must waste more time going around it, seems to be going through it is the only option as of now.

POW!

That's when Adam heard a loud impactful sound nearby that almost sounded like something or someone got punched. A split second later, one of the rock spires shattered to rubble as something tumbled towards Adam whom got of the way in time as it skidded passed him and grinded to a halt. Adam looked at it and turns out to be a pig-like Grimm with large tusks and four eyes; A boarbatusk.

The pig squealed for a few more seconds before dying the same way as all the other Grimm do.

Adam raised an eyebrow but then heard more sounds that came from where the Boarbatusk came from. The sounds of grunting, violent impacts, and explosions.

Adam wasn't sure if it's another student that are fighting Grimm or something else that he doesn't know. Either way, he's gonna head over and find out.

He slowly sneaked around the rock spires until he sharpy turned a corner and peeked his head around it and see what it is.

The first thing he sees is a tattoo of an elephant's head located on the back of somebody that looks to be an orange haired human being who is fighting a drove of boarbatusks… and he seems to be handling them quite well.

Gale was able to avoid one of the boarbatusks coming at him doing it's "spin dash" which means it's basically rolling like a wheel and going full throttle at him. Just as Gale leaped out of the way, he aimed his fist at the Grimm and fired a round projectile of concentrated wind that slammed into the pig and sent it crashing into another rock spire which killed it and shattered the rock to pieces.

Another one tried charging at him by simply on all fours rather than doing it's spin dash. Gale turned and reached out as he grabbed the Grimm by the tusks and stopped it in its tracks. He than spins around like a top until he gained enough momentum to let go and tossed the Boarbatusk into another one which ended up having killing the two since it broke their spines and necks by the impact.

Adam was a little awed by this guy taking care of those Grimm with nothing but his bare hands with a little help from his interesting looking gauntlets. In fact, he hasn't seen anybody that skilled and strong in quite a while… since Vlad. Either way, Adam considers, since it's him and this guy, it's highly plausible these two may be partners.

However, Adam noticed something nearby but Gale didn't. It's another Boarbatusk and it's coming in fast, rolling at full speed. But what Adam didn't expect that it rolled into one of the rocks that almost resembled that of a curved ramp which it used to send it flying into the air…. and it's barreling down towards Gale who doesn't notice.

That's when Adam decides to take action and sprints full speed towards Gale and the Grimm that's about to hit him. Just as Gale turned around and saw the Grimm, he couldn't react in time but saw someone else in the corner of his eye who was sprinting towards him but suddenly leaps into the air. Gale watched in complete shock as Adam leaps up towards the spinning hog and draws his sword yet again, easily darting past it with one swing. Just as it looked like nothing happened, the Boarbatusk splits in half and disintegrates once it hits the ground past Gale.

Adam gracefully lands and sheaths his sword back after, while Gale watches him with wide eyes.

"Woah…" Gale could only say and silently admitting how awesome and smooth that was the masked boy just did. "Flashy."

Adam didn't say a word and turned around as he looked at Gale who looked back at him. Even through those small slits of his mask, he's clearly making eye contact with Gale.

The orangette realized Adam isn't saying a word and they've been quiet for almost thirty seconds so he decides to end the silence. Gale wondered if this guy is mute or just doesn't talk much… or he's waiting for Gale to say something.

"So.. does making eye contact with someone wearing a mask still counts as being partners?" Gale said out of the blue, sounding like he's trying to be a bit humorous in this rather dangerous and serious place.

Adam couldn't help but slightly smirk that Gale barely noticed as he nodded.

"Yeah." Adam said. "It pretty much does count."

"Alright then. Guess we pretty much are partners now and no turning back from that." Gale said, relieved, as he walked over to Adam until they were close enough.

"Well, if this is how it's gonna be between us, better start knowing each other as well." Gale said to Adam as he raised his hand as if he's asking for a handshake. "Name's Gale Hathi and It's an honor to meet you… uh…" Gale slurred as he realized he doesn't know this guy's name but Adam grabbed his hand and shook it in return.

"Adam. Adam Taurus." The masked boy responded. "Pleasure to meet you too, Gale."

The two stopped shaking hands and got down to business, at least they should know the basics of each other.

"I take it you've been wrangling some Grimm and you're quite good at it." Adam says that Gale takes as a compliment.

"Thanks." Gale said with a grin. "And you don't look so bad either, right after you sliced that boarbatusk in two like a hot knife through butter."

"Than that makes two of us." Adam grinned back. That's when Gale noticed something and remembered something last night.

"Say. Aren't you the guy, from last night, with that girl wearing the bow, and talking to Yang and that other girl?"

"Oh. You mean the conversation with Yang and Ruby Rose when me and Blake Belladonna were reading to ourselves?"

"Yeah. That's it." Gale confirmed. "I saw you guys over there but I couldn't hear you so I was wondering what you were talking about. Not judging."

"Oh nothing really." Adam assured. "We were just getting to know each other, sharing our ideals. and what we believe in, especially what's better for Remnant's current state it's in. Simple talk"

"I see." Gale commented on what Adam said. "Sounds like Ruby is quite an interesting person."

"She is. I never knew Yang's little sister would have so much optimism and hope just by her words and presence alone." Adam also said, still remembering how shook he was by Ruby's optimism and beliefs, despite the weight of reality bearing down on everybody's dreams.

"Hold up. Yang and Ruby are sisters?" Gale asked, now suddenly confused.

"That's what Yang said when she was hugging her."

Gale started to imagine Yang and the other girl that's Ruby in his head… trying to find similarities but doesn't find any. "Huh. My only guess is that they may be half sisters than but I'm not jumping to conclusions and may have to ask Yang herself when I see her next time."

"Speaking of conclusions." Adam pointed out and started at the gorge and the temple further in the distance. "We should get going. I believe I have spotted a temple over there, beyond that gorge that we must cross. I don't see any alternatives around it so going through is likely the only option, if we want to get the relics as soon as possible."

"Alright, lead the way, patner." Gale said and follows his new teammate and partner.

And so, the two carefully watch their steps as they slowly travel down the slopes of the gorge… unaware they are about to discover something that no one else has before.

* * *

**Nigel and Rocky. **

Nigel and Rocky still kept running at a good pace, showing their endurance they can run quite a distance and have plenty of energy to spare, even after fighting some Grimm earlier.

Eventually, after exiting the thick part of the forest and out into a more open clearing, they caught their breath and looked around, wondering if this may be the place.

Eventually, they spotted something that looks man made… a temple, which looks so run down and in ruins as if it's been there for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

"Well… if this ain't the place where the relics may possibly be, than I don't know what place it is than." Rocky said and begins to head to the temple with Nigel.

Once they reached it, something that's lined around the center of the temple are 32 cylinder platforms. Each holding what looks like a chess piece that you would find in chess; Pawn, Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen, and King. Not to mention half of them are goldish-brown in color while the other half are charcoal black.

"So… chess pieces." Rocky said out loud, not sounding really impressed with but can tolerate it. "Not that I'm disappointed or anything, I was expecting the relics to look more… something like 'valuable'. Something like you find in treasure hunting movies that are priceless and eye catching to look at."

"Eh. Chess Pieces symbolize many things in many ways that I find it pretty interesting to be worth used as relics for this test." Nigel replied with his own opinion on liking the chess pieces being the symbolic relics for the test.

"To each of their own." Rocky said in return, choosing to just lean against the temple while Nigel walks up to the chess pieces. Nigel stares at the golden colored pieces and stares at them… until his eyes slowly turned to one of the two Bishop pieces.

Normally, one would expect Nigel could've taken the more higher ranked looking pieces, such as the King or Queen. Yet, Nigel couldn't help but keep his gaze and focus on the Bishop, almost like his instincts are telling him that piece is calling to him to choose it as the relic Nigel will have for the team he will soon form.

That's when Rocky noticed Nigel picking the piece.

"A Bishop?" He asked. "I can respect your decision but why choose that one when we could've had the King or Queen?"

"I don't really know, mate." Nigel replied. "It's just that something about this piece seems special for us… for possibly our entire team. It's almost like it symbolizes you, me, and two more we have yet to unite with."

Rocky stared at the piece and than at Nigel for a few seconds but grinned and nodded his head like he understands him.

"Either way, it sounds cool so I can roll with it." Rocky approved and started to head out. Nigel stashed the bishop piece in one of his pockets on his vest and follows close behind… until he stopped in his tracks… and turned his head in a different direction where he sensed something… something really bad.

* * *

**Adam and Gale**

Further down the slopes that lead to the bottom of the gorge, Adam and Gale took their time and patience to go down the route as smoothly and as safely as possible, not risking to fall or cause an avalanche of rocks that may put their aura or even their lives in jeopardy.

The two stayed quiet since they didn't feel like chatting to each other since this place doesn't feel like an ideal place to have a conversation so they kept their focus on where they are stepping. That is, the further they've gone down the gorge, the darker it got. Not enough to be considered as dark like night time and you need a flashlight, but still darker than back up on the surface.

Eventually, they reached the bottom, after several more minutes, they are over 100 feet below ground within the gorge which is slightly cooler and damp down here…. and darker.

"Alright." Adam said, now feeling like he can talk since they don't have to worry about losing their step. "We reached the bottom. Now we need to find another slope to reach the top of the other side of the gorge."

"Yeah." Gale agreed as he looked around… and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. "For some reason, the longer we stay down here… the more I don't like it."

"I'm in the same boat with ya." Adam agreed that he doesn't like it down here either.

"Better get a move on then." Gale finished and started walking with Adam next to him.

As they kept walking, the eerie silence and darkness started to get on their nerves so Gale wanted to end the silence to make them feel more at ease.

"So….first time you've ever been to an academy, huh?" Gale wondered to his new partner.

"Yes." Adam answered rather softly and not sounding so upbeat about it. "It is."

"Heh. Same for me." Gale murmurs as this too is his first time he's ever seen, let alone been to, an academy. "Hope we do well together."

"I hope so as well." Agreed Adam It's only a matter of time until we find two more teammates and than we have our official team."

"You think our team will be awesome? Any guesses who may be he leader even?" Gale also asked, sounding a little eager on that question. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it out of ignorance. I'm just curious and wondering if we will make a great and effective team for the next four years we must deal with."

As much as he doesn't really mind, Adam couldn't help but admit Gale does make a point there if they will be an effective team that may help their bonds grow stronger which may help them become better huntsman to make a better place for the world.

"You know. That's actually a pretty good question, Gale." Adam agrees.

"So what do you think, than?" Gale egged Adam on and wonders what he may say.

"Well, call me shallow, but I can't give a true answer to that. From what I can share from what I know; It's not about how awesome we are, it's all about what we DO, how much we believe in each other, ... and in some cases... how much we're willing to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good... "

"Woah... where did you learn or hear that?" Gale wondered to his teammate that he's slowly bonding with.

"Somebody that helped me see things more clearly." Adam answered.

"You know." Gale admits, thinking of his grandfather who said a similar ideal he shared to his grandson. "I was thinking of something like that too."

"Than what was the point asking me?" Adam asked but not rudely and more out of curiosity.

"I don't know... maybe I was wondering if there was someone else who also had the same kind of thoughts and knowledge as I do." The orange haired boy said as he

"Oh... than I guess we aren't so different than." The bull faunus replied as Gale thought of another topic.

"So... about this girl named Blake you were with. Some friend of yours or a relative ...?" Gale suddenly blurted out and couldn't help but regret saying that. Luckily, Adam took the question well and answered.

"A good friend of mine… one that I've known for a long time where we go way back." Adam said as he now wonders where Blake could be and if she's fine. Normally, she should at least have a partner by now so Adam shouldn't get paranoid and focus on his own mission with Gale.

"Nice." Gale nodded and smirked.

"Well, since it's my turn to ask; Any friends or relatives _you_ may have?" Adam asked, now returning the favor… but that's when Gale looked pale and started to frown, as if he's thinking badly of something… in Gale's head, flashes of images that were some people he once befriended and especially his grandfather. Adam easily spotted that and couldn't help but wonder what he may be feeling.

"I… Can we just pick that up for another time? I don't really feel like saying it right now" Gale sternly asked, sounding like he really wanted to change the topic.

"I understand. You can share it when you are comfortable with it." Adam assured and rested his hand on Gale's shoulder, letting him know he will support him, as they should be since they are partners.

"Thanks." Gale said with a smile.

Before Adam can reply, he suddenly stepped on something

Laying on the ground was a sword… which has been shattered in two.

"Oh man…" Gale gulped… not liking what he sees. Adam isn't liking it one bit either and feels like something is very wrong.

Adam kneels down and gently picks up the shattered blade and hilt, as he firmly held it in his palms. Both he and Gale noticed something is engraved on the hilt as the bull faunus brought it closer to their eyes.

They managed to read it that were words in cursive.

GRETCHEN RAINART

That is what the name of the former owner that's engraved on this blade….. highly suggesting it belonged to a young student in training who took the initiation… and failed the test.

"So it seems there really were students in training before us." Gale pointed out before he lowered his head and looked somber. "... And some have never passed and made it out alive….." He finished that he could barely say in one sentence.

"Yeah… I'm afraid it is….." Adam responded with his voice sounding a little hollow. "So many lives snuffed out just for an initiation…"

This made both Gale and Adam wonder… are these kinds of initiations really worth it for young students to risk their lives to prove they are worthy to attend huntsman academies?

Sure, these students have _chosen _to become huntsmsan and are aware

Adam and even Gale are no strangers to these kinds of topics that plague their minds for how Remnant operates the societies they all live in.

The two stayed silent and couldn't help but pay their respects to the person named Gretchen who died… likely falling in battle to the last breath when she couldn't escape.

"I think we should go….." Adam said with slight sorrow as he wraps both the hilt and blade in a cloth he was carrying with him. Gale nodded and watched Adam strapped the wrapped up blade to his hilt.

"I consider it's best if we pay our respects for Gretchen by returning this blade to where it needs to be buried." Adam advised in which Gale agreed with no doubt.

"Me too." Gale nodded and begins to walk with him.

CRUNCH!

Adam and Gale stopped in their tracks as they heard something that crunched beneath their feet. Feeling like they don't want to, both teens looked down and noticed Gale stepped in something. Even if it's morning and the sun is already out, it's still pretty dark down here and the shadows due to the lack of sunlight made it hard to see. Their eyes managed to adjust a little... and all they see is a bone... that of a human being.

Adam and Gale's pupils slightly shrunk at what they are looking at, as they felt chills racing up their spines.

That's when Gale slowly pulled out a light Dust crystal and activated with his aura to light up the area... which made the two wished they hadn't as they now see something that made their hearts stop and blood run cold.

What the two now gaze upon that will forever be etched into their minds … are dozens upon dozens of the scattered remains of bones, skulls, and incomplete skeletons ... humans and faunus alike. What's even more disturbing is that each skeleton looks different... indicating what may have happened to these poor unfortunate souls. Most bones remained scattered and laying in different places at random, rarely even showing a partial complete skeleton which some look like they were torn in half or grounded to bits. Even some skulls were smashed and splintered to pieces like cheap glass... which is what makes it even more downright horror and terror to the poor boys who can't look away from this nightmare inducing sight.

What these two young men have walked into... is a cursed, gorge ridden, death trap where all the students that have ended up down here and didn't make it... are reduced to whatever is left of them as they still continue to rot until there's nothing left.

"We need to get out of here... _now._" Adam said with his tone slightly trembling as they need to leave before something bad happens... they can't help but feel whatever is the cause of all this... is still around, as Adam remembered the footprint while Gale remembered the uprooted trees.

That's when the two boys couldn't help but feel cold blooded dread, as they realize they are not alone in this gorge… something behind them, close to the walls of the gorge, started to move which made the ground shake. The two fighters slowly turned their heads and looked over their shoulders.. and what they are staring at… is STARING back at THEM.

* * *

**Nigel and Rocky.**

Nigel sensed something… something very powerful that he couldn't help but slightly shutter, as he felt the dreaded presence of such negative emotions all focused in one Grimm which took the shape of a rather massive cloud of darkness that hovered near two aura signatures.

"Bloody Hell…" Nigel whispered, which Rocky barely heard.

"What? What's wrong?" Rocky turned his attention back to Nigel, a little confused and even a little concerned, upon noticing how startled and unsettled Nigel looks.

Ever since Rocky met him, Nigel never faltered or looked spooked in any way, showing such nerves of steel and stoicism he carries… and here he is looking like he saw a glimpse of a ghost for a split second.

Nigel didn't answer back as he continued to stare at the massive cloud of darkness and negativity within the gorge that's hovering close to two aura signatures… one that is blue and the other that's orange.

"This is bad, mate… very bad…." Nigel could only say, barely keeping his sentence firm.

"What's bad?" Rocky said again, now feeling more worried. "You're not making any sense."

"I sense two aura signatures…." Nigel said, trying to sound calm but Rocky knows he's downright worried. "And those two mates over there, down at that gorge, have walked into a Grimm's lair…. A very nasty and titanic one at that.

Rocky's blood ran cold as he stared towards direction Nigel was looking at ... wondering what they should do…..

* * *

**Adam and Gale.**

Adam and Gale started backing up and away from the massive figure that's hidden in the shadows of the gorge where the sun doesn't shine but they can't deny it's a Grimm… a rather massive one.

While the full details of the Grimm remain hidden, what Adam and Gale can make out on the Grimm is that it's humanoid in appearance, in addition to it's dark texture, bone armor, and red markings. It's heavily muscled body lumbers towards them, as its massive feet tremble the ground with each step. Adam noticed each foot has four giant toes, just like the footprint he saw earlier. Held in one of its massive four fingered hands is what looks like giant club made of solid granite… tipped with spikes made of metal ore sticking out of the club.

What the two young men noticed was something is what was staring back at them… a large, single, red eyeball that looks down on them and glowed eerily in the shadows that it's the only thing they can clearly see.

While it's nowhere close to being half as big as the largest of Goliaths, it still dwarfs even the largest of Nevermores and Death Stalkers.

As it continued to stare down at two young men with its massive eyeball shinning down on them like a spotlight and still lumbering towards them that indicates it's not gonna let them escape, the massive Grimm slowly opened its mouth, bearing its massive fangs that could easily tear a human in half, and lets out a deep and rumbling growl that pierced the silence…..

* * *

**And that's that for this chapter.**

**Well, the initiation is still going but it seems things are about to get a lot more intense and crazy based on what Adam and Gale have found….. and they have discovered something else that brings the question about Ozpin's initation…..**

**Also, one thing I want to note. I was originally going to have the whole initiation arc as one chapter but since I realized how long it was, I decided to just split it into two chapters. **

**Oh, and I've seen Vol 7 of RWBY and I'm enjoying it. Though, just to note, as much as RWBY is still ongoing and its canon material. I want to remind you that my RWBY AU that is ANGR is gonna be different in some ways. For now, I got everything written for Vol 1, 2, and 3, along with a little bit of 4 and 5 but that's on hold and more to be written. I'm gonna wait until the rest of RWBY finishes itself and then will I continue writing the rest of ANGR at how it goes and to see if I can make any more changes or none for my fic.**

**Anyways, hope you all had a good halloween and now we're onto Thanksgiving.**


	8. ANGR Assembles

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

**OCs are mine**

**ANGR**

**Chapter 4; ANGR Assembles**

* * *

**Beacon Academy; the Amphitheater**

In Beacon Academy, it has gone quiet. The new students are out in the Emerald Forest in order to enroll after completing their tests. Inside the amphitheater, all the other students, second, third, and fourth year, have gathered here. They are all wearing their Beacon Academy uniforms for their dress code too, boys and girls alike.

Among the crowd, there are four certain students that are close together.

The first one is a young girl with pale skin, long brown hair and brown eyes, and she's a rabbit faunus due to sporting a pair of rabbit ears on the top of her head.

Next to her, on her right, is another girl with pale skin, dark brown eyes and short, dark brown hair with caramel tipped locks. She seems…. fashionably stylistic, as she's wearing a pair of aviator shades and dark brown beret, with a fancy necklace.

On the bunny faunus' left are two boys. One with dark skin, dark copper hair that's messy and with a cowlick, and a scar on his lip. The most notable trait is his eyes that are pure white which suggestively hints he may be blind. The other is… let's just say he's a rather big guy; easily standing 7 feet tall; even taller than Gale himself, with tanned skin and shaved black hair.

These four students are a well organized and rather "stylish" team known as CFVY; consisting of Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi, respectively. And today, they are now in their second year, while also being transferred from Shade Academy.

What they are witnessing are dozens of holographic screens showing several locations of the Emerald Forest which also showcases the new students in action. Most of them in the amphitheater are hooting and hollering at how awesome and badass the newcomers are, even some being seemingly comparable to many of the other students that have been in the academy longer.

CFVY was having their own thrill watching these newbies actually impress them. Though, Fox doesn't appear to be watching the holographic screens directly.

Coco and Velvet were chatting over witnessing the action before them on the screens.

"I must say, I wasn't expecting some new students this year to be so effective and skilled." Coco mused, while she moved her shades down to get a better look at several girls, especially ones like Weiss, Blake, Yang, Pyrrha, and a few others… but she couldn't help but notice Nigel, especially after seeing footage of him fighting and killing a Reaper Mantide... and she's also liking his outfit too, especially his hat. "_Not to mention a lot of pretty girls and quite a few handsome boys to meet."_ She thought with a smirk on her face.

I have to agree with you on that." Velvet agreed with her teammate" I haven't seen newcomers being on such a level that are capable of being on par with someone like us. You think they will be great classmates and friends for us?"

"As much as I am curious about meeting them, let's not jump to conclusions. We haven't personally met or befriended them yet." Yatsuhashi softly spoke, which caught Coco and Velvet's curiosity since he prefers to stay quiet and not speak much, unless when necessary or he's being serious. Fox was facing his head towards his other two teammates and nodded.

"He's not wrong." Velvet replied to the logic her partner said.

"**That is…. **_**IF**_** they make it out alive and don't become Grimm chow." **Fox bluntly told them with a hint of sarcasm, using his semblance to telepathically say to Coco and Velvet which was just simply conveying his thoughts. He's also telepathically communicating with Yatsuhashi who is giving out the details on what's happening in the initiation to Fox since he's blind.

"Well, _He's_ not wrong either." Coco also said which made Velvet nervously chuckle and Yatsu give a deadpan look on his face towards Fox's remark.

Meanwhile, in the hallways of Beacon, which are empty… well, mostly empty, as the sound of a sweeping broom and stepping sounds of work boots echoing the halls.

It revealed to be Nevins who is busy doing his job as the custodian and keeping the halls clean as a whistle, not leaving a single speck of dust in sight.

Though, he couldn't help but stop in the middle of his duty when he noticed the several dozens of holographic screens that broadcast throughout the hallways of the academy that shows what is going on right now in the Emerald Forest.

He watched the many footages of the new students duking it out with the Grimm and some even becoming partners and team members…. but he also sees plenty of footage with some of them bickering, teasing, flirting, rough housing with each other, and even going as far as pulling pranks for giggles.

Nevins narrowed his eyes like he isn't amused…. as much as he was telling himself that. "Hmph. Kids these days…." The custodian muttered under his breath but less out of annoyance and more out of concern for their safety. Yet, he stared at the footage of Rocky for a few more seconds in silence before returning back to his duties and sweeping further down the hallways

* * *

**Emerald Forest; The Gorge.**

Within the bottom of the gorge, the ground was shaking as Adam and Gale with their weapons drawn and backing away from something massive hiding in the shadows.

What they have discovered down here was already bad enough; the skeletal remains of previous students who didn't pass the initiation, many of them spread out in large piles, their broken and scattered weapons littering the ground… and the ominous atmosphere that gives off the feeling that it's nothing more than a forsaken place condemned by the gods which no living soul should ever set foot in…. and here they are; standing, dead center, in the middle of it… and they feel like getting out of there ASAP.

But that's the very least of their worries because it's not just the place they are dreading right now… it's what _resides _in it.

And it's staring right back at _them_.

The two slowly backed away to get some space but the giant Grimm has no intention of letting them go. Its gargantuan and heavily muscular frame towered over them, as it's red, glowing, singular eye that's located in the center of its large head glares at them, like a spotlight catching a pair of escaping convicts.

As much as they wanted to get away, they can't help but feel that they won't be able to go very far, since they don't know what this massive Grimm is capable of doing, such as the possibility that its faster than it looks and could easily kill them if they turn their backs on it.

The only thing they can do is to stay put and hold their ground, but they can only do it for so long until things get worse for them…..

As they continue to back away from the Grimm's seething presence, it kept lumbering forward with no intention of letting them escape. Every step it took shook the ground that even the scattered bones and ruined remains of rusted and broken weapons rattled and jumped. Any unlucky skeletons and weapons were crushed underneath its feet and reduced to grounded powder and twisted metal, while it dragged its massive spiked club in one hand which the spikes dug into the solid ground, leaving behind trails of sparks and deep scratches.

Eventually, the two backed away far enough to step out of the shadows and into the gazing sunlight. The massive humanoid Grimm trudged out of the shadows which gave the two boys a good look at what kind of Grimm it is… and it wasn't inviting for their eyes to gaze upon.

Seeing it out in the open now makes it look even more massive than before; standing at _least two,_ maybe three, stories high. While it's nowhere half as large as a Goliath, it still dwarfed many other large Grimm, including the Nevermore, DeathStalker, and King Taijitu.

While it had the same physical traits as all the other Grimm, jet black skin and pale white bone armor with red markings, the armor itself was heavily thick that it covered the majority of its body. Most of its abdomen, back, neck, and joints of its limbs were bare but still covered in thick hide and muscle.

Sharp and curved spikes protrude out of its shoulders and knees, along with three curved horns on its head. Along its back is what looks like its spine with rows of sharp spikes protruding out of it.

But the most horrifying traits are rows upon rows of razor sharp, bone crushing, teeth, including four massive fangs that stick out the most within its gaping maw. Not to mention, located in the center of its head, is a large single eye, with a slitted pupil, that glows reddish orange like a burning ember.

It's a rather uncommon but highly infamous Grimm known as the Cyclops; A dreaded and gargantuan monstrosity of destruction and ferocity. Known far and wide across Vale and much of Western Sanus, mostly living in the high mountain slopes and dense forests, infamously known to have desolated entire villages outside of the kingdoms with their titanic might, and sending bone-chilled shivers down the spines of even the bravest of huntsmen and huntresses who stare into the burning wrath of its single eye.

It's a monster that should never be taken lightly, not even from highly experienced huntsmen.

The two teens and their giant adversary stand still as the gorge itself, not moving an inch, and stare at each other without even blinking… more like the Cyclops staring DOWN at them from above. The only thing breaking the silent standoff is the Grimm's heavy breathing and the chilling howls of the wind passing through.

The Cyclops lets out a deep and rumbling growl towards these two puny morsels, followed by sticking it's long tongue out of its mouth and rubbing it across its lips and sharp teeth, with puddles of drool flooded out of its gaping maw and splashing the ground.

Gale and Adam couldn't help but feel intimidated that this Grimm is giving out the hint it wants to eat them alive; feasting on their flesh and crunching on their bones, even using Adam's Wilt as a toothpick once its done devouring them.

"_There's no need to even guess what he's thinking about towards us…." _Gale thought of the idea that this Grimm wants to make a meal out of them which he does NOT want to experience in the slightest. He slowly turned his eyes towards Adam while still taking his fighting stance.

"Hey, Adam?" The taller boy whispered to his partner, turbine gauntlets at the ready. "Any bright ideas you have on how to deal with this oversized lug? Because I don't have one at the moment."

He may have faced many types of Grimm back in the jungles of Sanus, as part of his own training, with and without the tutoring from his long gone grandfather, and just to survive. However, he never has ever encountered a Grimm this large and ferocious up close, let alone facing one that makes him feel nervous…. but also blood pumping determined.

Adam also isn't sure what to do since he never faced a Grimm like this either. He remained silent for several more seconds until he gave his best answer.

"Based on my assumptions, this Grimm appears to be heavily armored, even the exposed areas look heavily thick skinned. Making it unlikely for us to do major damage with basic attacks." He informed, despite how much he hates to say it. "I'm afraid attacking it head on without resorting to stronger attacks will likely be the result of us two becoming Grimm snacks."

"Well. That sure makes me feel a whole lot better than I was seconds ago" Gale sarcastically joked and rolling his eyes but isn't berating his teammate since he's trying to lighten the mood a little…. which it isn't.

"Although…." Adam tried to assure Gale with a hint of hope they still have a chance. "The only available option I can deduce for us, for now, is the eye." He's referring to the giant eye that's pretty much a big glowing target that's asking to be hit like a bullseye. Gale noticed that too as he stared at the rather big and glowing eyeball.

"Huh. Come to think of it." Gale announced as he started to get the picture and had an idea. "The more I look at it, the more obvious to me it's _begging_ to be hit."

"Wait. What are you suggesting?" Adam asked Gale who shifts his turbine gauntlets and aims Gust at the eye, as he activates the Wind Dust inside the dust chambers which begins to create a condensed and concentrated ball of green wind just in front of the spinning turbine.

The bull faunus suddenly felt his instincts warning him that what his partner is about to do isn't a good idea.

"I'm about to do some sharpshooting!" Gale hollered as he took aim and prepared to fire.

"Wait! Don't-" Adam shouts, trying to warn Gale….. but he was too late.

Gale instantly shot a projectile of Wind Dust that easily broke the sound barrier and towards the Cyclop's one eye. The giant saw the projectile coming towards it but it seems too slow to even react as the speedy ball of green winds slams right into its face, dead center of its single eyeball.

Gale Hathi just shot a freaking Cyclops right in the eye.

The Grimm actually flinched from that attack as it stood still and tilted its head up that it's face was facing up towards the sky.

"Bullseye!" Gale cheered for getting a direct hit and seemingly noticed how the Grimm flinched, likely got its eye damaged. Despite his excitement, it ended when he noticed the Grimm wasn't reeling in pain or making any sort of reaction… it just appears to keep staring up into the sky.

"Um… is that how it's supposed to react or am I missing something here?" The orange haired teen said, confused and nervous that what he did only made things worse since Adam didn't show a look of approval but more like disapproval.

"Tch. Tell me something about how it shouldn't react." Adam sarcastically scoffed, with a tick mark over his forehead, as he now grips Wilt even tighter. "I suggest you start preparing yourself, if I were you." His tone was filled with a mix of anger directed at Gale and a warning he should get ready for what's about to come.

After hearing that advice, Gale turned his attention back to the Cyclops which was still facing the sky. As on cue, it started to move it's head back down to it's normal position. What surprised him was that he noticed it has its eyelid closed which only shows a slight dent.

"_Did… did that Grimm shut it's eye right before the impact to reduce the damage?!" _Gale thought, baffled at the reflexes that a massive Grimm like this shouldn't be capable of doing.

Just then… the Cyclops opens its single eye…. and glares down at the two but especially directs it at Gale who struck it. At the same time, it started to tightly clench both its free hand and its other hand holding its giant club. Red veins become visible beneath the charcoal skin as it starts to breath faster and growls even louder.

Adam looked calm behind his mask but a single drop of sweat rolled down his forehead as he knows the inevitable duel he and his partner are gonna have to overcome won't be close to being easy.

"If we don't survive this, this is all on you._" _Adam angrily stared at Gale.

As for Gale…...

"Well…. " He bluntly says with a blank expression on his face and a monotone to his voice, realizing what he did and internally regretting it. "...That doesn't look good…."

"**GRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" **

The Cyclops unleashed a deafening and earl splitting bellow that echoed across the entire gorge, which goes further out across the forest which sent birds flying from their perches and smaller animals to scatter and hide. Adam and Gal were forced to cover their ears from the roar so loud that it started hurting their eardrums and came close to making them go deaf.

* * *

**2 Miles away**

Nigel and Rocky are still sprinting as fast as they can towards the gorge where Nigel sensed the two auras from before along with that dreadful cloud of putrid negativity which made the faunus feel a little unsettled by the sheer pressure emitting from it.

"_Just what kind of Grimm should be living this close to a kingdom like Vale?" _The kangaroo faunus thought, can't help but feel like something feels wrong here._ "Most Grimm at that size and power are smart enough to avoid even being near them since it usually spells their own demise… unless…." _

Without warning, the roar from the gorge rumbled across the forest and the two faunus teens stopped in their tracks once it reached their ears. The roar was strong enough to even send out a slight gusts of wind that even made the leaves in the trees quiver and shake.

Nigel and Rocky stayed in place and looked completely surprised by the sudden roar that caught them off guard.

As the roar ceased and the wind passed, both faunus stood in place and didn't move an inch from what they heard.

"Don't tell me that's a roar belonging to a very big and strong Grimm…." Rocky meekly sputtered, trying to not sound scared but chills were racing up his spine.

"Yeah. It's definitely a big and strong Grimm." Nigel replied, now feeling the pressure of the vile and putrid negativity, much more closely now. "Much larger and stronger than any I've ever sensed so far in my life…. and that was only about a mile and a half away."

Rocky couldn't help but let out an audible gulp and feeling nervous from hearing Nigel's statement. The mere thought of a Grimm capable of unleashing a roar that powerful from that kind of distance is astounding and even bone chilling.

That's when the road runner faunus suddenly got out a random piece of paper and started writing on it with a pencil with a cartoon rabbit head eraser.

"And just what the bloody hell are you doing?" Nigel said confused and bewildered towards his partner suddenly writing in the middle of a forest filled with death and terror.

"My Will and Testament, I'm writing out. What does it look like to you?" Rocky replied with a straight face as he was halfway done scribbling what he wrote down.

"What the- Hold the phone." The kangaroo faunus says with a raised eyebrow in slight disbelief of what. "Are you implying we'll be facing something inevitable that we might not make it out of there alive? Like we're gonna be walking to death's door and you're writing a will and testament because of that?"

For one thing, Nigel has seen and faced many different kinds of dangers throughout much of his journey across the more treacherous parts of Menagerie; from the harshest of environments filled with the most lethal of of death traps, to some of the deadliest and most ferocious of Grimm that ever exist. He's hardly ever afraid and mostly pushes through without stride and now he sees Rocky is filing a will and testament against something they haven't even gazed upon yet, despite the roaring they heard.

"Well, in a world where you dive head first into the unknown, you may never know." Rocky replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he folded his finished will and puts it in a small stomach acid-proof container which he puts in his pocket. "Might as well write something down if we're gonna go up against a Grimm that probably eats skilled huntsman for breakfast and never be seen or heard from again."

As much as he sees that as ignorance… At the same time, he would take that into consideration as a warning of what they may be up against. Nigel sighs but goes along with it. "Fine than. If that floats your boat, mate, then let us get to it and save those two mates before it's too late."

"Right ho!" Rocky shouts and sprints alongside and easily keeps up with Nigel towards the Gorge, getting closer with each sprinting step.

"_I sure wish I had another chocolate bar I could savor, if what he says may be true…." _Nigel thought in desperation, wishing he could taste another piece of dark chocolate, if not for that Reaper Mantide ruining his last one that he bought from the vending machine before starting the initiation... A waste of good lien.

* * *

But the roar didn't end there…. It traveled further out by a few more miles, as it got fainter to hear, that even other students nearby heard the haunting roar that some even stopped in their tracks as they felt chills run up their spines.

But the ones even further away from the temple and the gorge hardly heard it and continued doing their own activities.

However, there was one person that was able to hear the roar from such a distance that everyone else near and far couldn't…. a certain black haired girl with a black bow on her head.

She was in the treetops and silently moving through them, like a ninja, searching for a partner… but that faint roar she managed to hear with her cat ears made her stop on a stray branch and turn her head towards the direction it came from.

She narrowed her eyes and wondered what kind of creature or Grimm that roar belonged to. Seconds later, she heard a loud yell and the sound of an explosion which caught her attention.

She decided to ignore the roar to heads over there, recognizing those shouts coming from a person.

Not far away, Nora and Ren were also in another part of the forest and they have recently partnered up as well, much to Nora's delight and Ren's apparent indifference to it…. but deep down, he's actually a bit delighted too.

Though, Ren's thoughts were interrupted when he swore he heard a distant sound that sounded like a mighty roar.

Ren stared into the direction he heard the sound coming from and can't help but feel concerned and even a bit scared what's out there. His mind briefly flashed… showing a silhouette of what looks like a deformed horse with its "rider" that appears to have horns and glowing eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Ren?" Nora asked, noticing Ren had stopped and is now behind her. As much as she's known Ren for a long time, every time he stops in place and stares into another direction means something may be wrong and she's already starting to think that's not far off from the truth.

Ren doesn't answer at first and keeps staring silently… until he decides to answer his childhood friend.

"I believe that I have… but it's very far away so I don't think we should worry for the time being." Ren replied, thinking it would be safe not to go near the source and find the temple.

He's about to turn his head back to Nora. "Anyways, we should be close to the tem-"

"**GRAWR!"**

"YEE-HAW!"

"_Please tell me it isn't what I think it is….."_

For having his eyes taken off of her for several seconds, once Ren turned towards the noise…. he now sees Nora riding an Ursa that was roaring and trying to get her off of it like a bucking bronco.

Ren sweatdropped at what he's seeing. Of course, every time he takes his eyes off of her, Nora is likely gonna do something insanely random which is pretty much what she's doing right now. And where did that Ursa even come from without being noticed before?

"Get along little doggie!" Nora chimed, in a southern accent for some reason, as if she's a cowgirl that was able to stay on the Ursa's back which then started running on ahead with Ren left behind.

Ren's eyes widened and immediately sprinted after his patner. "Nora! Wait!" The young man shouted as he gave chase and did his best to keep up with the Ursa that was rather fast for its size. "Don't leave me behind like this!"

* * *

In another part of the Emerald Forest, Pyrrha and Jaune were still on the move, not long after Pyrrha unlocked Jaune's aura and starting to get to know each other a little bit more, along with Pyrrha teaching Jaune a few more things he doesn't know about.

But even they stopped in their tracks from hearing a faint sound that sounded like roaring. Pyrrha felt her nerves tense and put up her guard while Jaune couldn't help but shiver and feel his legs shake.

"Uh… Pyrrha?" Jaune calmly said, sounding like he was trying not to sound like he was scared out of his wits…. which he is.

"Yes, Jaune?" Pyrrha replied, also being on guard what she heard but she's more calm and collected.

"Was that a roar we just heard or am I hearing things… like my stomach?" The blonde said, with his pupils slightly shrunken, hoping it's the latter and doesn't want to know the source of the roar. He hoped he was hearing things as he patted his stomach to hear any growling… except he realized he had breakfast this morning…..

Though, Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle from hearing the last part, as Jaune hasn't noticed that. It seems she's starting to like him a little bit more because he's being so casual towards her… like he's just being himself around her as if he doesn't know her, instead of many, especially Weiss this morning, before who treat her like some kind of top celebrity that only knew because of her status before even meeting her in person.

But she narrowed her eyes a bit more towards where the roar came from. As much as she can fight any threat, she rather prefers to avoid fighting and deeply hopes it's their own minds playing tricks with them… but she can't help but doubt it's not their imagination.

"I'm not quite sure." She said firmly and not looking concerned. "But we shouldn't worry about it and continue on with our trial."

But Pyrrha couldn't help but release a small drop of sweat since that roar did make her hair stand on end. _"As much as I try not to admit it, even I cannot help but feel the cold dread crawling up my back from hearing that." _

Throughout her life and training, the red headed champion has heard and read many legends of powerful Grimm that have been known to send even the bravest hunters and huntresses shivering in their boots. Deep down, she hopes she and Jaune never encounter this potential life ending threat they have heard and especially wish to never cross its path.

Those thoughts were put aside when they saw a cave ahead of them with strange engraving images on them... one that looked like a giant scorpion fighting people with spears

* * *

**Beacon Cliffs; Ozpin and Glynda.**

Meanwhile back at the start where it began, Ozpin and Glynda are still monitoring the footage of the initiation and finding things to be going fine. Much of the students have already found and formed pairs, found the relics, and still no casualties ... for now.

Glynda was standing close to Ozpin who remained silent and . But staying quiet was getting a little boring for them, at least for Glynda. standing around and monitoring everything felt like being a security guard at a shopping mall.

The blonde professor sighed in boredom… looking over at Ozpin again who is still monitoring certain students, especially Ruby Rose who is with Weiss Schnee.

"_If this keeps going in silence, I'm gonna die of boredom here." _Glynda mentally sighed and just went with it. Talking with him is better than nothing but silence and monitoring all the students which nothing interesting has happened yet, aside from random pairings and occasional relic retrieving….

"So the relics you've chosen this year… are chess pieces." The blonde professor said as she ended the silence and pointed out what the relics are this year. She feels the need to have a conversation with her headmaster whom she's been working with for so long… ever since becoming a huntress and a professor not long after going through all that hard work and effort over the years that got her where she is now.

"Of course they are." Ozpin finally answered after not saying a word since after he launched the students. "And they fit quite nicely as ancient treasures that will feel like an award for our new students they have obtained and bring back to pass their initiation."

"You sure remained silent when I'm talking about the students but then you finally speak after I start talking about the relics." Glynda said that sounded a bit sarcastic but also with a hint of teasing.

Ozpin chuckled a little to what Glynda says is partially true. "Well, on the contrary, dear Glynda. I have heard you, every word of it in, in fact." The headmaster answered with a smile towards his colleague. "You do know I'm not deaf or anything of the sort. For a headmaster like myself, I'm quite good at multitasking."

Glynda couldn't but give out a small chuckle, already knowing Ozpin is sort of right. Working with him for so long, she knows he can hear her, even if he's focusing on something else. Showcasing he is the multitasker, which he has used for many years that keeps the academy in tip top shape.

"Don't get me wrong, Ozpin." Glynda calmly said like she's not trying to argue but wants to point out exactly why all of this. "Ever since I've begun working for you, I've always been curious for what reason you would change them; from ancient artifacts, to player cards, and now to chess pieces?" She remembered last year's relics were stone tablets with playing card symbols etched onto them.

Many years ago, during the time of her own initiation when she was only in her late teenage years and when Beacon Academy has been around not long after the Great War, the relics she and other students have retrieved resembled swords, staffs, crowns, and lanterns….. and her relic she got to pass her initiation was a staff.

"You… do make a good point, Glynda." Ozpin said with curiosity in his tone about the topic since he too was now thinking about why he changed the relics design each year. "What you've said is actually quite symbolic and meaningful for me that it's now worth mentioning _why _I would change the relics once every few years."

Ozpin sighs. "Though, that's more of a common answer most would say; it's true that it seems I'm merely changing the relics design to spice things up, not to make them be the same which eventually makes them dull and boring."

Glynda can agree he's got a point there. Even though she knows having the same design for the relics for too long can get pretty tacky and dull over time so it's fresh to try something new once in a while.

"That said, there's another big reason why I change them." Ozpin takes another sip from his mug and turns his head and stares at the Beacon Academy in the distance. He can imagine all the other students watching the events unfold. "I also intentionally make their aesthetics more diverse, unique, and appealing to the separate generations of students that come and go. To make them different and to stand out from each other because they symbolize the ways of change between the older and newer generations. To represent the different students they are collected by, respectively, as time passes."

Hearing that actually surprised the blonde professor from how deep and meaningful Ozpin meant by it. She has heard all kinds of wisdom from Ozpin for many years, yet, he can still surprise her from time to time.

"You know, despite the fact that I've worked for you for so long, you never stop amazing me with your mere 'words of wisdom'." Glynda softly smiled but went back to her stoic frown when she got back to her scroll.

"Do I?" Ozpin raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Well aren't you all flattering when you're also being serious with me." The headmaster teased his co-worker who grew a tick mark but managed to hold herself from laughing, while she silently glared at him from the corner of her eye that's visually saying "Don't push yourself".

"Anyways." Glynda straightened her glasses and got back to her scroll and surveying what's happening. "As I've noted before, most of the students are still making good progress and a few of them even formed four member teams." She noted her scroll shows the percentage numbers of all students forming pairs while a slightly smaller percentage shows four member teams being formed.

"I can agree on that." Ozpin answered with delight. "I'm actually surprised and impressed this year's new batch of students are capable of taking on such highly dangerous and powerful Grimm than any before." He took another sip of his mug and sighing of the soothing taste warming him up, as he remembered the certain encounters with certain students before the initiation, such as Ruby and Rocky. "This year's events have indeed piqued my curiosity."

Glynda knows he's not wrong, even if he was joking with her. She also witnessed many of the footage showing the students… well, _most _of them, as she still recalls Jaune who still makes her feel suspicious towards him and the papers statements about him.

"Well, either way." Glynda says. "If they keep this up, we should be done in just a few more hours and we'll assign them into official teams."

"Well, then let's make this a good day for us." Ozpin chirped and sipped his mug again.

Glynda sighed and went back to her own scroll in silence… but just as she picked a random footage showing a group of students that formed a team… the audio suddenly picked up a very faint sound that entered her ears. At the same time, the four students stopped what they were doing and looked a bit frightened.

"What was that…?" Glynda whispered quietly enough to not let Ozpin hear her while pondering what made the students stop and look in a different direction while looking slightly spooked..

It sounded something like a rumbling roar from a monstrous beast but it's too faint to make any distinction of it and coming from the audio speakers of her tablet… but the professor instinctively felt it's enough to give her a slight hint of dread that faintly brushed across her soul.

Whenever it's instinct or curiosity that told her to find it, Glynda went back to her scroll and tried to find the source where the sound came from within the forest…. While Ozpin didn't hear it was minding his own business.

* * *

**The Gorge.**

The roaring from the Cyclops continued which started making it worse for Adam and Gale. Their ears are still ringing and close to going deaf. If it wasn't their aura and hands shutting tightly to their ears that's managing to block out most of the roaring, their eardrums would've ruptured by now.

"_Just how loud is this Grimm?!" _Gale thought as he gritted his teeth even harder and shut his ears even tighter and tried to use focus a little more aura around opening of the ears to block out the loud noise.

After several more seconds of seemingly endless roaring, the Cyclops finally ceased... and, without warning, started stomping towards the two puny insects at such surprising speeds that it nearly took them off guard. It raised its massive club above its head with one hand and started bringing it down, intending on flattening them.

"Look out!" Adam warned Gale they are gonna get crushed. They both jumped out of the way in that split second, right before the club slammed into the ground where they once stood, with Adam dodging to the left and Gale going to the right.

However, even when they managed to dodge the spiked club, they didn't avoid it unscathed, indirectly.

**BOOOOOM!**

Once the club impacted the ground, further backed up by the Cyclops titanic might, the ground was heavily smashed and cratered, followed by a large shockwave that kicked up several tons of rock and debris into the air that flew everywhere. The two boys may have dodged it but they were vulnerable to the shockwave which sent them spiraling out of control and smashing into the walls of the gorge, Adam on one side and Gale on the other.

At the same time, stone hard walls received several cracks around the two teens which also knocked the wind out of them. They went so deep into the walls they were practically embedded into them and momentarily dizzy. Their aura barely kept them from getting knocked out which meant they lost a decent chunk respectively.

Though, if one looked closely, Adam's Wilt glowed a little bit before dimming back down. Just before the moment the shockwave hit him, he managed to turn around and face the shockwave with Wilt in front of him to absorb some of the it's kinetic energy and reduce the damage dealt to him. Even then, it was still strong enough to make him feel sore.

The bull faunus was coughing up a wad of spit from feeling that and was a tad slower at recovering compared to Gale who recovered first, due to having a sturdier body and having more aura to spare compared to Adam. Gale was already prying himself out of the cliff side while Adam was just catching his breath and regaining his senses.

"Man. Even indirectly, that guy sure packs a serious wallop behind that club." Gale grunted, still feeling sore from that, as he cracked his neck while his aura managed to heal him quickly.

He looked ahead and noticed a large dust cloud that covered much of the gorge that it was difficult to see through. But what he could see… was a glowing reddish-orange light… that was staring at him.

"Oh no…"

Coming out of the dust cloud is the Cyclop's free arm that came down from above, intending to smash Gale beneath its palm. Gale's reflexes kicked in and instantly leaped out of the way as the giant hand smashed into the ground that kicked up debris and left a large hand print shaped crater.

But it didn't stop there. The giant's hand swung its palm out towards Gale which carved up the ground it grinded against. The young fighter responds by clenching his right fist and activating Gust. He thrusts his arm forward and, in an instant, collides against the Cyclop's palm which created another shockwave that sent pieces of dust and small rocks flying in all directions. For one second, Gale managed to halt the palm dead in its tracks… but the Cyclops growled and only pushed harder which easily overpowered the young man and sent him falling on his back, skidding dozens of feet back until he crashed into the wall behind him.

Gale gave a look of surprise at just how easily it overpowered him and his jet thrust enhanced punch, with just one hand no less.

"_Okay. It's definitely really strong but I wasn't expecting it to easily overpower me with just one hand like that." _Gale thought with his eyes narrowed and was about to get up._ "...There's no doubt I'm gonna have to take it up a notch if things go south." _

Just as he was about to rise to his feet… he noticed it suddenly got darker until he noticed he's surrounded by a dark shadow which means something is blocking out the sun. He looks up… and sees the Cyclops raising it's foot that is about to squash him… while the Girmm was seemingly giving off a sinister growl.

Gale's pupils shrank and wasn't quick enough to react as the Cyclops prepares to put its foot down on him ... literally.

Nearby, Adam managed to dislodge himself from his crater and saw the Cyclops going to crush his partner beneath its foot. Without a second thought, the bull faunus darted forward with Wilt tightly gripped in both hands, just as his blade and hair dimly glowed a little, and leaps up towards it.

Just as Cyclops was about to crush the puny human, it suddenly felt an extremely stinging sensation across the bottom of it's entire foot, causing it to halt and briefly roar in pain that it even dropped it's club and clutched its foot out of reflex.

In the nick of time, Adam managed to sprint over fast enough, leaped up towards the foot, and unleashed two slashes across the sole which two slash wounds appear. This left the Grimm wide open.

Gale took the hint and instantly launched himself forward with the aid of Tempest and Gust that blasted him forward, like a propelled bullet, until he flipped in midair and landed feet first on the Cyclops chest, and into a crouching position against it.

The Cyclops felt something slamming against its chest rather hard and looked down… looking at that orangette human who stares back and grins.

"Hi there." Gale mocks his large opponent and releases a powerful burst of air from his gauntlets, combined with the powerful force of his strong legs that launched him off, like a spring, of the Grimm. He somersaulted several times in the air and skidded next to Adam with grace. The two managed to widen the gap between them in the Grimm from a safe distance.

As for the Cyclops, the combination of Gale's wind dust, his strong legs, and having the unstable balance standing on one leg, it could no longer remain standing and collapses onto it's back which results in a loud crash that kicked up a dust cloud.

The two stared at the downed Grimm and noticed its foot. Despite how it reacted in pain, the slash marks are visible but barely even superficial; they look more like paper cuts than anything fatal.

"Just as I thought." Adam said affirmed his hypothesis and much to his annoyance. "It's hide is far too thick for even our basic attacks to do any serious damage."

"_If only I could absorb just a little more energy to charge my semblance than we could easily harm it…. but taking it from the Cyclops itself is too risky." _

A second after, the Cyclops shifted and was already getting back on its feet, angrily glaring and growling at the two with murderous intent. It reached down, picking up its club, and began stomping over to them.

"Well…" Gale said with a smirk on his face and his aura started to glow a little and his back tattoo also began to glow an orange tint. "Looks like we're gonna have to improvise than."

Before Adam could ask what he meant by that, he was caught off guard when he noticed Gale was changing and his tattoo also suddenly glowing orange.

He grew several inches taller and gained more muscle mass that he now appears more muscular. His hair grew a little longer and his eyes changed yet again with his sclera black and pupils remaining turquoise.

But that wasn't what surprised Adam for the most part, since he has seen plenty of semblances that changed the body of their wielders. It's actually the elephant ears and tusks he sports to complete the transformation that was what caught him off guard.

"_Am I being deceived here?" _Adam thought in confusion, unable to comprehend what he's looking at that's right next to him. _"Is he…. a faunus?" _

Truthfully, he's never seen anything like this before, at least not between changing forms to resemble a human and a faunus, especially with certain animal features most common to them. _"He can't be… can he?" _

That doesn't go unnoticed. Gale can tell, even behind that mask, Adam is surprised looking at him go from a human to what looks like an elephant faunus without warning.

"_Yeah. I bet you're wondering just what exactly am I, don't you?" _Gale thought with demur and slight anxiety, imagining what Adam would now think of him; anywhere from indifference, to curiosity and acceptance… or rejection and disgust. Either way, Gale knows whenever someone sees him going from human to something that resembles a faunus, everyone is gonna react to him either way.

Regardless, Gale managed to move those feelings aside and not cloud his mind. _"Yet, I cannot worry about that now, nor should you worry about me, since we got a Grimm to deal with. Until we are out of the woods and safe, neither I or you should lose our focus."_ And with that, he keeps his smile on to not waver or show any signs of weakness towards his partner.

The Cyclps began to pick up speed again as it charged towards them again.

"Seems like he's asking for more. Looks like we're gonna have to take this up a notch. Don't you think, partner?" Gale gave a smirk on his face and felt a little bit excited facing this threat.

Even after he heard and saw the look on Gale's face, Adam couldn't help but smile a little, despite meeting this mysterious young man who now looks like an elephant faunus. Both knowing they are fighting and training for the same goal right now; Getting the chess piece, forming a team, and surviving the initiation all the way through.

"Yeah." Adam replied firmly as he sheathes Wilt back into Blush but doesn't let go of the handle as he gets into his stance. "It looks like we might have to."

"Alrighty then." Gale grinned and cracked his knuckles as he stood next to Adam and glared at their Grimm adversary. "Let's get to it."

The Cyclops roared even louder stomps even faster that it's almost jogging.

"From where we're at now, we're gonna have to work together to take it down… and we should be a little more _cooperative_ with each other, _this time_." Adam instructed a bit darkly to Gale, putting some emphasis on those certain words. Gale couldn't help but nervously chuckle about what he a little over a minute ago which he admit wasn't the brightest idea and should've heeded his warning.

"To be fair." Gale answered awkwardly. "You said the eye was its weakness so that got me thinking….."

"Just because I told you its weakness doesn't mean you should instantly jump the gun and shoot it, especially when we don't know what else it's capable of." The bull faunus interjected but he can't help but internally agree towards Gale's point that he should've further elaborated on. "Who knows what it could do that may take us off guard and get us killed."

Even when looking and being serious, Adam felt a tad guilty of what he just said to his partner that was rather harsh, as he started to calm down a little by taking a single deep breath.

"Heh…. heh….." Gale sheepishly chuckled his partners words of advice but managed to regain his composure. "Guess I shouldn't have been so hasty there."

Before Adam could respond, the Cyclops threw a large boulder which forced them to leap aside as the large piece of stone flew past them and crashed into the ground, shattering to pieces.

"It doesn't matter since what's done is done. We got bigger fish to fry anyways." The blue haired swordsman huffed and glared at the Grimm, feeling a bit frustrated how things are going now.

"Right." Gale said but then got serious. "So what do you think we should do against a Grimm like this?"

"From what I can see, right now." The swordsman inspected, not taking his eyes off of the enemy that's hard to damage. "It's very strong and destructive when it comes to brute strength, especially when backing all that power up behind its club. But it's massive size also makes it harder to hit smaller targets like us, while making itself the bigger target. The best I got now is that we need to split up and force it to focus on one of us so the other can attack it's unprotected places, including the eye."

He also stared at the club which was being dragged along and scraping the ground. "It's also viable for us to disarm it, which will make things easier for us. "

"You've sure have read my mind." Gale agreed, gazing at that club and not wanting to imagine getting hit by it head on. "I can say it would be great for us to get rid of that club. Such a pain it is."

Like before, the giant Grimm stomps towards them yet again, raising it's club and prepares to swing down on them yet again.

"Remember… like we've planned." Adam instructed and prepares to move once the Cyclops swings it's club which is just about to, as Gale nodded in response.

"You've got it!"

Adam then noticed something in the corner of his eye looked down next to his foot… another sword that's a katana. One that once belonged to a fallen student in training who perished the same way like the others in the gorge.

Adam momentarily felt a feeling of sorrow upon seeing many of these young people having their lives ended down here. Never to be seen or heard by their families or loved ones again, as their remains and weapons rot and rust in this dark forsaken place, including someone like Gretchen.

"_This place…. This gorge…. Where so many have perished down here…."_ Without a second thought, Adam scooted his foot under the sword's hilt and flicked it up which caused it to spin in midair, followed by Adam casually catching it by the hilt with his free hand. Now he's dual wielding two katanas with a tranquil glare at the Grimm.

"_**...It's nothing but a complete Hellhole." **_His hair and mask glowed a bit brighter. _**"And this is where the demon that dwells and crawls within will be slain."**_

Adam silently bids his condolences to the fallen student of the blade he's now holding which he will use his aid against the Grimm.

Gale noticed that but didn't say a word as it looks like Adam knows what he is doing. The tattooed boy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them back up, watching the Cyclops approach them and threatening to charge again.

"_Grandpa. If you can see me down here in this deep and dark place right now…. I'm still gonna make you proud." _Gale gazes up towards the sky again, despite being over a hundred feet down here, he can still see the sky and the clouds…. than he takes his stare back at the Cyclops. _"Because we're about to slay some big beefy Grimm here."_

Both young men glare at the Grimm which glares back at them until they prepared to fight again.

"Let's do this!" Both brothers in arms shouted in unison as they prepared for battle.

The Cyclops bellows at the top of its lungs again and swung down with everything its got. This time, the bull and the elephant were ready.

Just as the club was about to hit them, they leaped upwards and out of the way this time. The club ended up smashing into the ground which again shattered the ground and sent another shockwave that kicked up tons of shattered rock. However, since they jumped upwards, the two easily avoided the shockwave.

"Ha You missed!" Gale mocked as gravity brought them back down.

Adam made the first move, due to being the quicker of the gracefully landed and instantly dashed towards the Cyclops, with both Wilt and the borrowed katana in hand. The Cyclops single eye spotted him and it responded by reaching out with it's free arm and tried to hammer fist him into a pulp.

Adam saw the fist coming and managed to stop and move to the side which easily missed him but the ground still shook and cratered close to him. Yet he didn't falter as he took advantage of the opening by leaping onto the arm and ran up it, while dragging both the sharp tip of both blades which left trails of scratches across the bone armor and hide. It did no serious damage but it was able to harass the Grimm which Adam was doing it out of spite and to show he means business.

The Grimm then tries to swat him like a mosquito with its other arm but Adam dodged that one by leaping. With both arms out of the way, the masked faunus leaped towards the Grimm's eye, intending to slice it out and leaving it blind to make things easier.

But the Grimm anticipated that and managed to move it's head to the side a bit which made Adam only end up grazing its cheek which doesn't even compare to the slashes he did to the bottom of its foot.

In response, the Cyclops opened its mouth wide and attempted to chomp down on Adam. Before it could do that, the blue haired swordsman managed to pour a small portion of his stored semblance and swung Wilt and the other katana several times in rapid flurries that they unleashed a few dozen airborne slashes that flew inside its mouth… which left nasty gashes across its entire tongue and the insides of its cheeks which bled black ooze and smoke…. Even it's uvula wasn't lucky as it too suffered a single gash.

The Cyclops' pupil shrank and let out a pained shriek of how agonizing it felt. It recoiled and used its free hand to cover its mouth to ease the pain, but Adam wasn't done yet as he fell towards the Cyclops hand holding the club and swipes at the uncovered wrist which made the Grimm roar yet again and actually lets go of its club out of pain and reflex, causing it to fall and crash into the ground.

"It's now disarmed! Hit it with everything you got!" Adam yelled towards Gale who smirked that now it's his turn..

He leaps up and opens fire, unleashing a bombardment of pressurized wind Dust from Tempest and Gust. The first few managed to slam into the Cyclops head and shoulders which gave its attention made it focus on him. The Grimm quickly went on the defensive and put up both its arms and used them to block the rest of the projectiles which exploded harmlessly of it's armored forearms.

Gale pulls his arm back and clenches his fist, preparing to unleash an almighty punch, the Cyclops glared with it's single eye but it kept it's massive arms in place, confident in itself it can block him since it easily overpowered him a minute ago.

Though the Cyclops wasn't aware Gale has already enhanced himself, for a split second, it noticed the puny human looked a bit different when he got closer.

Gale, with his already boosted strength, combined with his turbine gauntlet, punches forward and slammed right into one of the Grimm's boney forearms that created a big shockwave. The Cyclops managed to stay firm…. but it did not expect to suddenly feel the bone armor to rattle and slightly crack under the pressure of that punch. It isn't much but what Gale left was a large, fist sized, dent on the armor with cracks around it, showing he's now able to do some damage if hit in the right places.

But Gale didn't stop there as he used the forearm as a platform to launch himself right at the Cyclops. Green swirls of wind snake around his gauntlets in a corkscrew fashion to land a massive punch right into its cheek. It recoiled from the hard impact that it almost stumbled off balance.

Though, that leaves him in midair as the Cyclops recovered and glared at the tattooed young man. It tried to swat him with a backhand but the young fighter propelled himself in midair with the help of his gauntlets and easily dodged the backhand by somersaulting downwards. He repositioned himself and began charging Tempest and Gust in which the turbines spun and hummed with great pressure and intensity as it started combing the two winds together into one powerful attack.

With great force, Gale launched a decently large, spiraling, twister of green wind that shattered the sound barrier and slammed into the Cyclops's midsection with a shattering boom. It definitely felt that, as it's single eye widened and pupil shrank of the stinging pain, like taking a sharp jab in the stomach… that also kept twisting around and around, further in, nonstop. But it didn't falter and stood firm against it until the attack died down. Gale landed and looked at the result of his attack and gazes upon how it barely even did any visible damage.

It's midsection is slightly bruised and even twisted a little. However, the one eyed behemoth managed to stand tall, glaring down at it's tiny opponent with no apparent sign of discomfort. It's almost like the Cyclops is showing off how it took that hit like it was nothing, despite the faintly visible injury.

The tanned and tattooed fighter sweatdropped, audibly gulping like he was being intimidated… which he pretty much is at the moment.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" That's what Gale could muster to say, seeing even one of his stronger attacks that could easily tear up and scatter lesser Grimm still ain't enough to do massive damage to the Cyclops. "Just how tough is this guy?!"

But it wasn't completely futile as he can still see there's a visible wound so it's possible they still got a chance at this.

For a split second, Gale swore he saw the Cyclops give off a rather menacing grin… instantly reminding him the grins those Death Howlers, once led by the now deceased Alpha Beringel, gave him back at the temples in the jungles of Sanus.

But that made Gale suddenly feel less deterred and intimidated by that look. In fact, seeing that grin only made him more furious and determined to slay it and avenge all of those lost souls that were slaughtered and eaten by the monster. "Okay. Now you're really just asking for it." Gale growled with rising fury behind his tone.

The Grimm roars yet again and steps towards Gale… but Gale grins back as Adam dashed towards him from behind at full speed. By instinct, Gale turned around and clasped both of his hands together and crouches a little with his palms out that serves as a stepping platform.

"You know what to do!" Gale shouts.

Adam already got the memo of what his partner is implying and runs towards him with both swords spread out. Once he got his right foot up and steps on Gale's hands, the orange haired fighter grits his teeth and, with a mighty heave, sends Adam rocketing over his shoulders at the Cyclops like a missile.

As he got closer to the Cyclops, it heavily growls and punches forward with its free arm but Gale interrupts the Grimm by shooting it again with another Wind Dust bullet that smacked it in the cheek hard enough to make it lose focus and divert the punch off course, slamming it into a nearby boulder which shattered to pieces.

That left it open for Adam to attack as he used the arm as a platform to leap towards the eye again but the Cyclops was quick enough to block with its club in time before both Wilt and the other sword only hit the club… and not a single scratch was visible which shocked Adam. Normally, Adam can casually slice through steel like wet tissue paper but that club easily took the slashes and wasn't left with a visible scratch.

With nowhere to jump or leap, Adam was helpless in the air as the Grimm now raises its club and is about to smash him overhead.

"Adam, heads up! I'm about to give you a lift and you do the rest!" Gale shouts as he focuses his gauntlets and fired a gust of wind which formed into a miniature twister that caught Adam and carried him up to the Cyclops. Adam quickly understood and did the rest and went towards the Cyclops which was caught off guard.

With the aid of the miniature twister, Adam starts spinning rapidly with both Wilt and the borrowed katana spread out which made him look like a man sized blender. For extra measure, he used his semblance and added just a little more of what he had in store to increase his cutting power. Upon contact, he repeatedly struck Grimm's throat, intending to slice the jugular… but he only wasn't able slice deep enough and only got superficial cuts that only bled a little.

"_Still not enough?!" _Adam mentally exclaimed, seeing his attacks still aren't doing any enough damage… and he's now left open as the Cyclops glares down at him and instantly hurtling him down into the earth with a smack of it's palm, leaving an Adam shaped dent several inches in the ground.

"Adam!" Gale shouted in worry for his partner possibly getting harmed.

The blue haired swordsman was fine, though, but that hit from the Grimm and hitting the ground hard sure hurts like hell and also taking another chunk of his aura. Also, he managed to use both swords to block and absorb much of the Grimm's attack but that left the borrowed katana slightly cracked and damaged….

"Gonna be feeling that one in the morning." Adam grunted of the soreness but widened his eyes as he sees the Cyclops raising it's foot above him… the exact same foot he slashed earlier, and prepares to step on him like it tried on Gale.

Another wind bullet flies towards and smacks into the Cyclops but it doesn't seem to respond to that.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!" Gale mocked the giant Grimm with irony and kept firing more Wind Dust bullets at the which bombarbed its midsection and head.

However… the Cyclops only bothered paying attention to Gale with a short glance for a moment with little interest until it brings its attention back down at Adam with sadistic glee in its eye. The two started to realize it has caught up on their strategy and now it's turning the tables on them by ignoring one of them that's trying to get it's attention while attacking the other who's now vulnerable.

"_Dammit! It figured out our strategy!" _Gale mentally cursed and launched himself like a rocket from the aid of his gauntlets to get there as fast as he could.

Adam quickly tried to pry himself out of the ground but he isn't fast enough to get out of the way in time as the giant foot starts coming down like a giant press that's gonna flatten him. Adam shuts his eyes and prepares for the crushing blow he's gonna feel… but it never came.

Adam opened his eyes back up and now sees Gale standing above him, pushing against the Cyclop's foot from crushing both of them with all of his might. But he's crouched so low he's using every bit of strength he had in himself to keep both himself and Adam from being crushed. He gritted his teeth so hard they threatened to break and his eyes were shut tight. He's never resisted against something like this until now, even in his half transformed state.

"Gale?" Adam said in shock of seeing his teammate resisting the Grimm's giant foot but can tell Gale can only do it for so long.

"M-Move it! I-I... can't hold it…. m-much….** longer!"** Gale grunted and started to feel the Cyclops putting more force in it's foot that he's starting to buckle under the weight.

Adam took his words as he pried himself out of the ground and dashed away. With Adam out of the way, Gale activated his gauntlets again and released a powerful stream of wind that pushed against the Cyclop's foot long enough for Gale to let go and dashed out of the way. Just in the nick of time before the Grimm dissipated the winds and shattered the ground beneath it's mighty foot, leaving a similar footprint indented in the Earth that was similar to the one Adam saw earlier.

Both teammates now widen the distance and stand side by side, yet again.

"You okay there?" Gale asked Adam if he's okay from that kind of hit. "Looks like you took quite a hit that could break every bone in your body."

"Yeah. I'm fine." Adam answered, despite taking that hard hit and having another chunk of his aura taken. Gale feels a bit concerned since Adam appears to have less endurance and aura than Gale is known to have in store. If this keeps up, Adam's aura is at the risk of shattering and left vulnerable to easily getting killed. "But that's the least of our worries."

They observe the Cyclops has accumulated some damage; small cracks and dents were seen across it's boney forearm, it's midsection was bruised and slightly twisted, and several gashes across its cheek and throat that slightly bled but not enough to be fatal. Black ooze and smoke was leaking out of its mouth, thanks to Adam cutting the inside of it.

Otherwise, the Cyclops isn't seriously damaged and still looks like it can keep going. In fact, it looks more pissed off than harmed which made Adam and Gale sweatdrop that they barely did anything to it. The Cyclops then leans down and picks up the club yet again and starts stomping towards them with murderous rage in its eye.

"Well…." Gale sweatdropped. "This guy is a bit tougher than we thought it would be."

"Hate to admit it… but yeah…" Adam agrees. "It's still too durable for even our stronger attacks to do serious damage." He's starting to sorry a little but keeps his guard up.

"So what now? Should we go all out or high tail it out of here?" Gale asked and quickly hoped Adam gave a good answer since he's having second thoughts about going all out against the Cyclops.

Adam was also thinking if they should keep fighting or take another option for the time being since they aren't doing much and if they keep this up.

Though, everything around him went silent, Adam looked down at the borrowed katana he has in his one hand, staring at the cracks running across it. Despite just being some ordinary sword that's not as sharp, nor dexterous, or advanced, or even as long and sturdy as Wilt, along with being on the verge of shattering with more hits… Adam can't help but feel absolute admiration and respect towards whoever used to own this sword before their demise.

"_This sword; it's been neglected and worn down for so long….." _Adam deeply thought as he looked at all the remaining weapons scattered down here. _"They all have been."_

But he didn't falter and gripped the hilt even tighter as he started to feel more resolved and willing to fight that isn't just for survival or for the trail… it was also something much more. _"And yet, for some reason…. every strike and cut I make with it against that monstrosity, the more I can feel the fallen being avenged."_

That's when Adam remembered something connected to how he feels with all of this. A soft and gentle voice that belongs to his master whom he hasn't heard in years. The last he has heard those words was on the day he earned Wilt long before going on his own and eventually joining the White Fang.

"_**Heed my words, Adam Taurus. From this day on; if you have chosen this path to wander Remnant, with Wilt in your hand, then use it with honor and integrity. Remnant is a dark and Grimm place we live in so you mustn't forget that we all are fighting for the same cause against a common enemy. Humans and Faunus; no matter our differences and beliefs, everyone of Remnant needs to band together, to breach the darkness that is the Grimm and despair, and bask in the light that is peace and unity. Even as we now part ways, I bid you my blessings, my pupil. May all of my lessons and teachings guide you for the life you seek."**_

That was the last time he heard and saw of his master since he moved on from where he trained to reach the capabilities he's currently at…. and now he has to keep improving and fighting without his master's guidance, after making his hard decision.

Even if it's just a coincidence or that he's really feeling the will of the fallen humans and faunus that died here, Adam feels more determined to slay this monster that took their lives…. And yet, he doesn't let that blind him as he knows he and his partner have the odds stacked against them and they aren't doing any better just trying to fight it when they can barely even damage it..

If only they could have just at LEAST two more skilled huntsmen to join in and help them… they might have a chance to beat or, at least, do some serious harm to the Cyclops, even with the lowest chances of coming out alive from it.

"Uh… Adam?" Gale interrupted, a bit confused and worried his partner has been silent for a bit. "You okay there? Because you better think of something fast since that Grimm is starting to come over here…. and it looks like it wants to smash us to a pulp after what we did to it."

Adam snapped out of his deep thoughts and noticed the Cyclops is heading their way again.

"Right." Adam responds and looks ahead with a determined stare. "Guess things are starting to have the odds stacked against us."

"_Don't tell me…" _Gale thought a bit worried, wondering if Adam tells him they are gonna have to still fight. _"We're still gonna fight it…? Sigh. It seems like it… guess that means I'm gonna have to use my trump-"_

"We need to retreat." Adam finally answered which surprised Gale.

"What?" Gale responded with a surprised look on his face, a little relieved he doesn't have to transform again.

"Due to what we are in now, I consider it's the best for us to retreat and get out of this gorge." Adam says like he means it. "If we use the thickets of the forest to hide, it would have a harder time finding us there than out in an open and narrow place like down here."

Hearing that actually makes Gale smile a little bit. He can agree with Adam making that kind of choice in a tough situation like this which makes him respect him more.

"Oh yeah. I'm so with you on that one." The taller fighter agreed. He's a bit glad he doesn't have to use his trump card just yet, both for practical and personal reasons for himself and everyone else around him.

"But first. We need something to distract it long enough for us to escape." Adam also informs since they see the Cyclops is already close enough to not let them even get the chance to escape right now.

"Right-o!" Gale hollered and actually thought of something that could distract the Grimm just long enough to help them get a headstart. "In fact, I do have something that could give it some company to give us a head start!"

He quickly reloads Tempest and Gust with more Wind Dust to charge up more wind. At full charge, he starts twirling in place which gathered the winds spinning around him which he halts his spin and swings his clenched arm forward to create a decently large tornado that's almost as big as the Cyclops itself. The large tornado created powerful winds that blew dust and rocks away, even some of the bones and weapons were blown back a bit but are otherwise unharmed. Gale mentally hoped the bones and weapons weren't too badly harmed by the tornado but it should be enough to distract the Grimm.

At that moment, both made a run for it in the opposite direction. Gale kept his gauntlets activated, while still in his half transformed state, while Adam sheathed Wilt back into Blush while he managed to hold the other katana in his free hand.

As for the Cyclops, it sees the large tornado standing in its way, but it wasn't even bothered by the winds since they weren't strong enough to even budge it. But it was enough to catch it off guard until it regained its bearings, easily dissipating the tornado in half with one mighty swing of its club. The Cyclops then noticed the two puny insects that it was fighting were gone… until it's single eye spotted them far up ahead and running away. That's when it realized that tornado was used to distract it so it roared in anger yet again and gives chase, stomping forward in longer and faster strides that it was basically jogging.

The two boys looked over their shoulders and can see their pursuer is already chasing after them, motivating them to sprint faster. Thanks to Gale's current form, his increased stamina and taller frame gave him longer strides but Adam was still able to keep up due to his lighter build and having faster strides.

The ground trembled as the Cyclops was keeping up with them, not letting them get away that easily as it pried a nearby boulder out of the side of the cliff and tosses it at them. The two barely avoided it as it slammed into the ground and rolled on for a bit until it slammed into a large rock spire that shattered upon impact.

While they were running, Adam and Gale were thinking about what they should do next, considering they haven't seriously damaged their giant adversary while it could easily kill them with one well placed hit. They barely avoided yet another boulder thrown by the giant Grimm which also shattered to pieces. One stray piece smacked Adam in the face but his aura managed to reduce the damage… and he was very lucky it didn't hit his mask but it did almost slip off his face that he quickly readjusted it with his free hand.

That didn't go unnoticed by Gale as he already saw Adam looking a bit distressed as he adjusts his mask back into place. The tall young man raised an eyebrow with slight curiosity but decided to ignore it for now.

For now, they need to keep running in hopes they can find a way out of this trap, since the cliff sides are far too steep and flat to get any proper footing to climb or jump on. And so, they kept going to stay far ahead as they can as the gorge, maneuvering through all kinds of obstacles, with the sounds of giant footsteps and bellowing roar of the Cyclops right behind them.

* * *

**Half a mile away.**

On a large hill that could almost be a mountain, two figures have just reached the top of it who reveal themselves to be Rocky and Nigel. The two have ran for quite a while nonstop since they tried to

Rocky whistles as he got a good look at the view which shows a wide open view of the valley. Far in the distance are lots of snow capped mountains and in the center of the valley is the gorge itself which looks like a rather small and narrow canyon from up here.

"Whoo Wee! Would you just look at the view from up here? You can see miles from up here! Heck, you can even have a picnic with the girl of your dreams in this very spot!" Rocky smiled but then frowned. "If it wasn't a place that's Grimm territory"

"Yeah… I sure would." Nigel said a bit sarcastically like he didn't really care. _"If I had my chocolate bar with me right now, I definitely would." _He thought in annoyance as he activated his scanned the gorge and the area around it in hopes of finding the two aura signatures. All he sees are mostly trees, boulders, some random Grimm, and the gorge itself which looks like a giant gash in the earth.

"Anyways, it seems we're in the much deeper parts of the Emerald Forest ... and based on my semblance, this area is where the aura signatures and the negative energy should be around here somewhere." He further said as he started to stare at the giant gorge.

Rocky agrees and puts his hand over his eyes to see better since the sun is still high in the sky. "I can agree on that with you. Now where is the Grimm and our two-would-be-teammates?"

Nigel then scans the gorge. Thanks to that, he's able to partly see the bottom of the gorge despite the angle where he's standing at and wouldn't be able to normally see it.

Eventually, he's able to pick up two aura signatures that are blue and orange and they appear to be moving through the gorge.

"Found them." Nigel said to Rocky as he points where he spots them. "It's definitely them that I sense down there in that gorge."

"Down there? Huh. Wonder why they would be down in a gorge like that in the first place?" Rocky rubbed his chin, pondering why they were down there. "I mean, it's a gorge and all, but there really isn't a lot of interesting things down there… unless there's some hidden passage that holds the answer to the universe and the meaning of our existence."

Nigel slowly turns his head from what he just heard that it sounds redundant to him.

"And just what the bloody hell are you now mumbling about?" Nigel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing really. Just comparing it to the typical places you would find in those dungeons exploring adventure games." Rocky shrugged his shoulders as he was thinking a bit about the many video games that he played before.

The two suddenly heard the roar again and it's definitely that of the Grimm they heard earlier. This time, with them being so close, it was more clear to them it belongs to a Grimm but, while loud, not as deafening and powerful as the last one.

"Yeesh. Even from here, it's just as nasty but not as terrifying and ear rupturing, thankfully." Rocky said about the roar which wasn't as loud as the one they heard way back.

Nigel activates his semblance yet again and spots something not too far behind the orange and blue aura signatures…. A massive cloud of dark and negative energy that is chasing the two signatures through the gorge.

It's definitely the Grimm he sensed many miles back but now he can sense its potency much more clearly that it makes his hair stand on end.

"_Such dark and negative energy coming from a Grimm like that... has to have been living around for quite a long time to build up so much of it." _Nigel thought with concern and shock of never sensing a Grimm with this potent energy of negativity.

"We need to get moving. They definitely need our help." Nigel spoke but groaned a bit. They are still a bit far away and it doesn't help the aura signatures and the Grimm are now starting to head towards the end of the gorge which is a dead end . "And standing here only makes their lives more at stake here." He begins to run but Rocky than shouted.

"Wait!" Rocky blurted out to Nigel from going anywhere who turns around and stares at him with a look of confusion and seriousness.

"What is it? It better be something good to help us and not be another one of your obsessions involving pizza and nightclubs." Nigel groaned, remembering how far they traveled but Rocky has talked a lot about himself along the way that… it's getting a bit annoying to him.

The bird faunus stood there when a lightbulb suddenly appeared and floated above his head…. which burnt out but Rocky quickly tapped it with his finger to turn it back on again "My brain just flipped and is telling me something!" He spouted as his arms were flailing like rubber hoses.

Nigel's reaction remained stoic but he wasn't amused in the slightest that Rocky is probably thinking of something random yet again.

"Ugh. Rocky, mate. Whatever it is you're thinking, I rather hear it another time since we need to get down there and save those two before they're good as dead." The kangaroo faunus said as he started running downhill but Rocky wasn't done yet.

"Oh come on!" Rocky exclaimed as he cartoonishly zipped in front of Nigel that stopped him in his tracks that he practically now has his face inches from Nigel's and eyes wide open. "Did you forget about how this trial works and what Ozpin said? We're supposed to be working together as partners but you ain't even listening to any of my ideas that may actually be beneficial."

Nigel didn't respond as he stared at Rocky, thinking if he should go his way or go along with Rocky's plan. Then he spoke a little more clearly.

"Even if I decided to agree with you, you haven't even explained what your idea is to me." The kangaroo faunus pointed out.

"Oh right. Silly me." Rocky chuckled about what he didn't explain what the idea was. "Well, while I want to save out the details, let's just say it will help us get over there in a flash."

But Rocky still wasn't done on his plan yet. "And if you're gonna agree with me on this, then there's no backing out on it. Okay?"

"No backing out?" Nigel asked with a raised eyebrow but Rocky doesn't answer and just smiles at him like he's daring him to decide. Even if Rocky won't tell him, it's likely harmless and nothing life threatening, because his semblance reads that Rocky isn't lying or having any sadistic thoughts… almost like it's innocent and harmless. Since they are far away and running may do no good to get there in a short amount of time weighs down Nigel's options… so what the heck.

"Fine. Do whatever it is that you can to get us over there quickly, because they need us." Nigel snarked as he crosses his arms, barely even tolerating to go along with this but whatever gets them fast enough in any way, he'll do it, even if he won't like it.

"Roger that!" Rocky cheered with a thumbs up and instantly zigzagged all over the place, near the trees, and gathered what he needed, like a blur. Once he had the resources he needed, he was wearing a construction hat and started putting everything together in a cartoonish manner.

"...Then why do I feel like I'm gonna regret for ever agreeing with you on this?" Nigel muttered as he still isn't sure with Rocky's plan that he's going along with.

* * *

**2 minutes later.**

"I regret myself for ever agreeing with you on this." Nigel said with his teeth clenched in complete annoyance and disdain as he and Rocky are now sitting in a crudely made wooden catapult that Rocky was able to build with the aid of his semblance in a speedy and cartoonish fashion. "Now I'm starting to have second thoughts."

"Hey. You agreed with me on this. There's no going back on your word, pal." Rocky jeered as he prepared to launch them. "Besides, it's not like we're gonna die or anything since we did survive the launch pads from the start… hopefully." He then got out a piece of paper that shows a rather crudely drawn image of the landscape and the hill that shows two stick figures that's likely Rocky and Nigel and an arrow that shows where they will launch and land. But what's weird is that the stick figure that's supposedly Rocky appears to be wearing a cape….. and there are also pictures of a ferris wheel and a circus tent randomly drawn in it.

"See? I did my own research and even calculated the coordinates on the angle, velocity, timing, and trajectory on where we will exactly land!" Despite that, Nigel had doubts looking at the drawing and the grinning look on his partner's face.

"_Right… like that's making me feel any better and secure with this." _Nigel mentally sighed and tried to remain stoic and calm…. which he could hardly do.

"You sure about that?" Nigel sweatdropped with uncertainty and dread that something is about to go wrong. "Do you even know what you wrote down with absolute confidence and certainty? And why is there a ferris wheel and a tent in it too?"

"Oh I did that for fun. As for your first question, of course I do! What can possibly go wrong?" Rocky casually asked like this is all ordinary to him.

"I…"

"Alrighty then! Without further ado, let's go save our new teammates, be one step closer to getting our initiation done, and form our four man team!" Rocky cheers as he unties the knot the rope that restrained the mechanism from hurtling them with one little tug.

"No! Wait-!" But it was too late as the entire knot went undone and a loud click was heard.

"I so wanna strangle you right now…." Nigel darkly glared at Rocky who gave a wide toothy smile in return, just before what's about to happen next.

The catapult springs and launches the two into the air faster than the speed of sound. Unlike the launch pads back from the start, the catapult's crude and poor design did little to stabilize their balance in midair as the both of them were flying head over heels through the air like a pair of wheels, as they shot across the forest and towards the edge of the gorge. In fact, the catapult collapsed and fell to splintered pieces right after launching.

"If we don't survive this, this is all on you. Hell, I'll even be giving you an eternal wallop in the afterlife, as a bonus!" Nigel yelled as he was rapidly spinning nonstop that he couldn't balance himself… but Rocky is somehow falling stable as he's doing a pose like he's lying down on his side with one hand against his head, looking so chill while doing it.

"Well what if it's just me that survives?" Rocky smirks like he's having too much fun with this.

"Then I will haunt you for the rest of your life!" Nigel screamed and tried to glare at his annoying partner but can't due to spinning and he's now starting to get dizzy.

"Well then there's no need to fear!" Rocky announced in a booming and superheroic tone as he starts spinning that he's a blur and then stops which suddenly changed his appearance. Now he's wearing a dark green cape, a bright green domino mask, and has the green letter "R" etched across his black T-Shirt for some reason where his normal symbol on his shirt should be.

"Because your partner, Rocky, is here!"

And so, Rocky gets into action as he puts his arms out and looks like a caped Superhero that is flying in the sky as a bird or plane. He uses his tail feathers to steer and get behind Nigel as he grabs the kangaroo faunus at the right moment to make him stop spinning. Now he's carrying Nigel safely and begins to slow down their fall which then started to be something like falling or gliding.

This made Nigel start to calm down a little as he realized Rocky is now helping him from meeting mistress death. Though, he still ain't forgiving him launching the both of them out of a catapult, especially not telling him what the plan was, beforehand, until it was too late. For now, he relaxes and lets Rocky do the rest.

And so, the two young faunus practically glided across the valley until they got near the edge of the gorge which is where Rocky begins to descend even faster.

"Alright! We're almost there!" Nigel shouted as loud as he could since their fall was loud to their ears from the wind. "Now do the safe landing!"

"Well.. about that. There is one thing I left out that I didn't think about through.." Rocky admitted with a tone that was nervous and awkward.

Nigel's face went pale and gave off an annoyed expression as he had a bad feeling about what's gonna happen next.

"And what would that be?" he deadpanned, not even bother putting any emotion in his tone.

"I never thought about the landing strategy in the position that we are in now. The superhero phase was just thought up right after we launched!"

"...Great." That's all Nigel could sarcastically say as they plummeted down towards the ground with their velocity increasing. "Even IF we somehow survive this and our aura takes it… we're gonna be nothing but a pile of broken bones wrapped in skin and muscle." Despite still having plenty of aura, it's just that if they hit at this velocity and angle, head first no less… they would have to be VERY lucky if their aura soaked up the impact and prevents instant death….

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean I can't improvise!" Rocky shouted as he gets out his Double Barreled Revolver and takes aim at the spot where they are gonna land. He shoots an Ice Dust Bullet which shoots into the ground and explodes. But instead of Ice, there was a large pile of snow for the soft landing.

"Oh. Well I'll be." Nigel said with surprise as they both dived into the snow which definitely softened their landing that their impact was strong enough to send snow everywhere like a bomb went off in it. After seconds of silence, both crawled out while covered in frost and snow.

"Told ya I could get us over here in a flash." Rocky smirked, somehow now back in his default outfit, with the domino mask and cape gone, while his default symbol is on his shirt again.

"Yeah yeah. No need to remind me that…. but I'll consider your plan and improvising approach on the fly is what impressed me. I'll consider letting you off from me strangling you." Nigel replied and started walking towards the gorge.

"Really?" Replied Rocky like he was happy to hear Nigel giving him some praise.

"Yes and No…. but mostly no." Answered bluntly, looking over his shoulder with a rather serious look in his eye, as he kept walking. Rocky couldn't nervously chuckles as he wipes the snow off of him and joins in. They reach the edge of the cliff and look down to see how deep it is; at least over a hundred feet, maybe even deeper.

Nigel turns his semblance on yet again… and he sees the two signatures heading their way but they're still a bit far away from them.

The black cloud of negative energy of the Grimm is surprisingly even further away but still persistent as it appears to be slowly catching up like it's desperate to get at the two.

"Seems like we've managed to get here before those other two did and they are heading right this way as we speak." Nigel informed as he eyed them but he and Rocky also heard the distant roaring that's getting louder and closer. "And the Grimm that's after them is not too far behind."

Hearing the roaring, which is now very loud and clear in this location makes Rocky audibly gulp and sweat a little. "Yeah. No need to guess on that…. 'cause my ears are ringing right now."

"Alright. We need to find some way to get down there but I'm finding it risky to do it the simple and straightforward way." Nigel informed and rather wanted to avoid the Grimm than to fight it, especially that he can sense their aura signatures have taken some damage. Not to mention he and Rocky have accumulated some damage of their own, so the risk isn't worth it.

"Yeah. I don't feel like wanting to go a round with that thing either. I'm good having myself left in one piece for today." Rocky agreed with Nigel. "But yeah. There has to be a way to get them out of that gorge… but how?"

Seeing the bottom of the gorge is over a hundred feet below, falling or climbing down won't be much useful when they need to get back. Not to mention that, while Nigel can only jump about halfway up as high, but only by himself and that would leave three people behind him. Climbing back up would take too long either. There has to be something that could to that's practical and effective in getting the two up here without needing to get down and back up here that wastes so much time.

And so they looked around to see if there is anything they could use to aid them. Naturally, there doesn't appear to be anything… until they noticed a nearby elm tree that's covered in thick vines.

"Well I'll be. If it isn't a bunch of Bungee Vines." Nigel said out loud in curiosity as he walks towards the trees that have the vines wrapped around the trunks and branches. "You can mostly find these in the jungles of Sanus which grow on many of the trees in tropical regions but subspecies like these here can also be found here in mountainous forests and valleys of the same continent as well." He begins to reach up and grips a vine and uses a specialized technique he learned from a survival instruction book back at home to gently pull and dislodge it off of the tree without harming the tree nor damaging the vine itself until he's got a long rope full of it. Then he rinse and repeats with several more until he's got enough than starts tying them together into knots by the ends.

From what he's seeing, Rocky noted of Nigel's knowledge on his survival skills and what to do with the environment around him quite well. Of course, it kinda fits him being all stoic and serious, based on his outfit and his way of speaking. He looks like he travels outside of the kingdoms and endures many kinds of environments… It makes him wonder just what he witnessed and experienced outside of the kingdoms.

"Alright. This is what we're gonna do, mate." Nigel instructed Rocky as he breaks down the plan. "We're going to be using these bungee vines that I tied together as our artificial bungee cord that will aid us in getting those two mates trapped down there. The person who is gonna be bungee jumping will be you, mate. When they are directly below us, you're gonna grab them and the vines will launch you right back up here. Simple as that and you know the rest of the plan."

"I suppose that is simple enough." Rocky smiles like he's going with the plan without concern or question. "Got that all memorized in my head like it's set in stone! I'm more than ready! Now let's get warmed up!"

Rocky started taking deep and slow breaths. Followed by doing all the basic stretches in the body to loosen up and strengthen his muscle fibers. When he was done with those warm ups, he then started to do flexible handstands and even goes further by balancing on a single index finger for several seconds, showcasing his resilience and balance.

Nigel was watching the whole time.. and is actually impressed by him with such balance and flexibility from the likes of someone like Rocky.

"Well… aren't you flexible." Nigel said as if a bit surprised and stunned never seeing someone that flexible before, having that kind of balance to boot." Nigel

"I know, right? I mean, I'm not even using my semblance right now. Just good old fashioned, routinely, acrobatic training, every single day. Though… I can go even further when I do use it."

That's when Rocky suddenly started twisting and contorting his body at impossible angles and such that he even tied himself in a knot. What's strange is that there were no sound of cracking bones, it's like Rocky is a being made of putty or clay, all thanks to his semblance defying the laws of physics with that of cartoon physics.

"See?" Rocky shows his now contorted form that he's basically a literal human pretzel, even beyond the shape normal contortionists could ever reach.

"Right…. I did NOT need to see that. Now you're just disturbing." Nigel deadpanned at seeing what would've caused anyone else to faint of witnessing that but he didn't seem that disturbed or shocked… It's like he's seen enough in his life already.

Rocky then twisted himself back into his normal shape and stood back on his two feet, feeling all loosened up and was ready to go.

"Alrighty then! Let's get to it!" Rocky cheered as he ties the Bungee vine to his foot and walks towards the cliff. "Hope I score a perfect ten on this."

As for Nigel, though, despite being tolerable and casual with Rocky… something has been bothering him for quite some time since they met and became partners.

"Why are you being like this?"

The moment Rocky heard those words, suddenly coming out of nowhere, as he stopped dead in his tracks, inches away from the edge of the cliff.

"Wait..._. What did he just say to me?"_ Rocky thought as he looked over his shoulder and looked at Nigel who has a serious and skeptical look on his face… and he also sees his eyes are glowing in a violet hue…..

"I'm sorry…. what?" Rocky turned, sounding confused what Nigel is talking about. Knowing the kind of guy Nigel is, despite their short amount of time they've been partners, though, Rocky doesn't need to guess Nigel isn't being random to start something like this, and the kangaroo fanus can sense his emotions, if what his claims about his semblance are true.

Now this shouldn't feel like an appropriate time but Nigel is feeling like he needs to bring this up since he's a bit concerned with Rocky, if he's a total screw loose and may need to at least want to know him so he can understand him better. Not that he's judging him either way, the best to cooperate with your partner is to understand them better. They still have plenty of time until the other two get here.

Thanks to his semblance in reading emotions, Nigel has a rather decent experience in seeing how to properly make conversations with just about any person, even people who can hide their facial expressions and body language almost perfectly.

"I repeat... why are you _being_ like this?" Nigel repeated with emphasis to his tone, gesturing to Rocky whom he's talking about. "Being a looney goof in the middle of a forest filled to the brim with Grimm and Death. Especially when there's no one else around here within miles, besides me. It doesn't add up, logically."

Rocky didn't move and heard what he said is partly true. While he does keep it to himself for the most part, he sometimes can't help himself but be a total goofball around places that would see him as weird but that doesn't bother him what they think of him.

Still, this is the first time someone would question that. It makes him feel unsure and on edge how this will go between him and his partner, some guy he met yesterday, partnered up with recently, still know very little of each other on a personal level.

Regardless, Rocky knows he can't argue out of it because Nigel isn't likely gonna take it beating around the bush so he's gonna test him first if Nigel has a rather good judge of character and doesn't look down on him for who he is.

Rocky turned around and looked at Nigel in slight confusion. "Uh. What do you mean by that?" He asked, sounding a little confused but Nigel can sense he's less confused and more a bit on edge. "Is there something wrong with me being funny?"

"Naw, mate." Nigel shook his head. "There's nothing wrong being funny, especially for an oddball like yourself…. well, as long as it isn't taken too far and no one gets seriously hurt." He warned since he won't take pranks that cause serious harm to innocent people.

"_He's got a point about that one. No way am I crossing any line with my power of comedy." _Rocky mentally admitted but didn't change the expression on his face to not falter towards Nigel and show any signs of weakness.

"So then…. are you saying I'm insane?" Rocky than asked with a raised eyebrow

"No." Nigel answered sternly like he means it but with good reason. "You stand out among the insane lunatics that I've encountered more times than I can count, from where I'm from and traveled. You're different from them because I can read your emotions clearly, while I have a hard time trying to read the emotions of the insane… so unpredictable, inconsistent, and full of madness."

He recalls the many types of insane lunatics that tried to kill or mug him and he ended up beating them without much trouble but can't properly read their emotions because they are constantly changing on a whim.

"Then what's the point you're trying to make?" Rocky objected, still trying to stay calm but Nigel doesn't flinch as he remained focused. "I mean, I wouldn't mind because I take no offense to what people think of me, crazy or not."

"_At least not the 'me' before that day in Atlas…." _Rocky yet again unintentionally remembers his younger days but he still shrugs it off and stays focused but that brief moment was enough for Nigel has sensed a slight bit of frustration. Nigel kept going with the topic since he wants to get to the bottom of it, at least if Rocky is willing to go there.

"Don't take this the wrong way, mate." Nigel says, trying to not sound rude. "It's not like I'm trying to berate or intimidate you, regardless that I can read your emotions like an open book. It's just that I can't ignore my semblance right now, not after meeting you yesterday and especially partnering up with you today" He stayed silent for a few seconds until he spoke again. "The point I'm trying to make, you ask? Because I sense there's something else about you than what's on the surface."

Nigel then started to mention down all the moments with Rocky with his fingers. "For starters, you've been yammering 10 minuttes straight about your favorite stunts, hobbies, pizza, and certain types of girls you like talking about nonstop while we were running. You launched us out of a poorly made catapult while acting like some kind of superhero out of a comic book that is here to save the day...and you twisted yourself into a literal pretzel that should be physically impossible, even for the most flexible faunus could ever accomplish. I could say you are an oddball among many"

"Ah yes, I remember those moments. Those sure were some good times, eh?" The bird faunus sarcastically tried to soften the topic but Nigel doesn't blink.

"They sure were." Nigel sarcastically answered but gets to the point. "Now this may sound like I'm going a bit too far here, for no good reason at least." Nigel narrowed his eyes. "But truthfully, there's something else about you."

"And….what would that exactly be?" Rocky asked awkwardly as he looked straight in the eyes of Nigel.

"You may be all funny on the outside; a bright and cheerful clown who's all smiles and laughs … but on the inside, deep down, there's another emotion in you that's the exact opposite. Something under that goofy exterior that you deeply hide… something like a sad clown would."

Through his vision with his semblance on, Nigel sees Rocky's aura, which is green, and senses a lot positive and joyful emotions, that are seeping and flowing on the surface. But as time passes, the happy emotions are slowly being replaced with caution, uncertainty, and nervousness of what Nigel is trying to discover. Being closer to him, Nigel dug through the layers of Rocky's emotions.. and senses another kind of emotion within Rocky…. a kind of emotion that he senses, akin to sadness, grief, and fear.

Yet, Nigel senses something else deep in Rocky's soul. Something that feels like…. hope, acceptance and dignity.

This surprised Nigel of sensing a kind of less comical but more positively genuine kind of emotion hidden within the more genuinely sadder emotions was something he did not expect.

"_What is this?" _Nigel thought in curiosity. _"Just what did I feel that he's hiding?" _Since Nigel can't read minds, he isn't sure what Rocky has been through to have these emotions locked away so he decides to go a little more straightforward with this.

"Rocky, mate, please listen to me." He said with his a little more reason behind. "That is, if you don't want to answer, then that's fine with me. I honestly got nothing against you or anything of the sort… aside from the catapult incident which I'm willing to look past right now." He then narrowed his eyes as he was thinking about the catapult part.

Rocky felt nervous as he awkwardly chuckles at the catapult part. He's starting to admit maybe the catapult was a bit too far but no complaining over spilled milk already. "At least I made up for that by improvising…."

"Aside from that, if you think I'm trying to make you spill the beans for my own gains, I wouldn't even try to rat you out with anyone else because I'm not that kinda guy, despite my rougher exterior." Nigel crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes to show he's being honest. "We'll simply be keeping it a secret between you and me. We'll just let bygones be bygones, as partners."

"Well…. I'm honestly feeling a little better of hearing that… thought I was gonna have a heart attack." Rocky says, feeling a little bit better, yet, still not fully secure about it which Nigel doesn't blame him since they don't know each other that much.

"If you think I know anything about you, just because I can read your emotions that easily. You're absolutely dead wrong because I honestly know nothing about you and your past. All I know is how you feel and what kind of emotions you have locked up in you that I don't know what they really mean in your life."

Nigel's face grew a little solemn as he looked down to the ground and took off his hat, holding it in his hand.

"But you ain't the only one here... because those emotions you hide… they are like something I have and hide too."

Rocky widened his eyes a little after what he just heard from Nigel, not expecting him to have something in common with him.

"For fairness, you wouldn't know anything about me either but if I wanted to share my side of the story to you; Many would think I'm just some stoic and serious punk who travels across the deserts endlessly with no issues or regards to everything and anyone around him…. but that's not true either. For what I am, I have my own secrets I keep to myself because I need to hide what I'm doing for my own goals.

He slowly takes out the photo of his mother, father, and baby sister, with his other hand. It's the same one he still has. Since he's a decent distance away from Rocky, the bird faunus can't see the photo but he's putting the pieces together what Nigel may be looking at.

"I need to do what I can…. to make up for what I've done in the past…. for those closest to me….

But his family isn't the only thing he envisions…. as he also thinks of Jackal, Serpent, and their followers…. the two gangs he fought back in Bardus but learned of their struggles and intentions that he gave them a chance to make their lives easier for them. Jackal and Serpent are holding hands like reunited lovers while they and their followers are warmly smiling to Rocky, especially Whiptail's dopey smile and Bitsy shyly smiling and waving at him.

"...and to those that seek for better lives and the happiness they deserve."

Rocky didn't say a word in silence. Nothing but the wind and the distant roaring of the Grimm was heard as the two faunus stare at each other, trying to think of something to say. In fact, Rocky eventually realized he's a bit like Nigel… as he too momentarily envisioned Wily, his former rival and current acquaintance, whom he helped learn the error of his views and chose a better path.

Nigel slowly puts the photo of his family back into his pocket and his hat back on his head as he looks back at Rocky with a serious look in his eyes.

"Basically… all I'm telling you is… I just want to understand you… so that you can understand me." And with that, Nigel lets out a heavy sigh like he got a huge weight off his chest.

"And now that I've spilled some of the beans about myself and shared to you what we hace in common, are you certain you are willing to share with me more about yourself too? If not, then I'm willing to pass it and we'll be on our way."

Even after hearing everything, Rocky wasn't entirely sure how to react to that, like he is speechless.

"Alright then. I'll take it, you'd rather have it be forgotten." The kangaroo faunus accepted with dignity. "Very well then. Let's just be on our way because we got a team to save and make."

Nigel begins to walk towards the cliff and inspects the status of the two teammates and the Grimm…. but he felt an emotion coming from Rocky… who felt willing to answer.

"Actually..." Rocky calmly said as he caught Nigel's attention. "Hearing what you said to me… I think maybe I'm starting to consider I could-"

"**GRAAAAAHHHHH!"**

Before the road runner faunus could even finish his sentence of what he wanted to say to his partner, the loud bellowing roar was heard again, now even closer than before that it's hurting their ears which are ringing. The two covered their ears and slowly turned

"Ah! That's loud!" Rocky complained as he got out oversized ear plugs and stuffed them in his ears to dull the noise and prevent his ears from rupturing.

"It's definitely close now." Nigel muttered, annoyed at the irritating roar that is making his ears ring.

The loud roar stopped but that didn't end the shock on the two faunus as they witness what was far down the other side of the gorge where they are from

They looked on ahead…. and can see the Grimm itself that just rounded a corner of the cliff sides and now comes into view… and they are shocked by seeing the size and appearance of the Grimm.

"Crikey. Would you look at the size and power of that thing." Nigel droned as he was feeling overwhelmed by the pressure and negative energy the Cyclops that surrounds it. "It's definitely a Grimm that's been around for at _least over _a century."

"And far meaner than I thought it would be… and that's not a good thing in any way." Rocky dreaded as his eyeballs comically shrank into his sockets like he's scared of facing it head on. Even at that distance from here, they can tell it's really big and Nigel's semblance is very such powerful and intense pressure of its power.

The Cyclops begins to stomp forward yet again after letting out another loud roar.. Nigel notices the Cyclops isn't focused on them. In fact, it doesn't even notice their presence and appears to be focusing on something else… that's when Nigel looks down and sees the same aura signatures backed up against the cliff faces which he and Rocky are standing at the top.

"Well I'll be. Seems like those two got here quicker, when I wasn't paying any attention." Nigel dryly admits he was so focused on talking to Rocky he didn't notice the two have come sooner and now there they are.

"So what now?" Rocky asked with no hesitation in his voice as Nigel looked back at him and looked just serious as him.

"Stick to the plan. We gotta help those two now because I can sense their aura has taken some damage by that Grimm. I also sense they are getting cornered and feeling desperate." Nigel replied as he starts heading towards the vine and grips it tightly. "Get ready to bungee jump down there and grab them. I'll support the vines and bring you back up the moment you get a firm grasp on them."

"Alright then! Then let's get to it"! Rocky begins to take position as Nigel takes several steps back and heads to the other end of the vine and prepares for the stunt. But Rocky suddenly thought of something about Nigel. That guy heavily respects him and now he helped Rocky feel like opening himself up a little. Maybe even sharing his background that he has never shared with anyone before. The only ones that possibly know his background are the Snake Eyes who are now very far away and shouldn't worry about them.

But that will come later since they got a job to do but Rocky does one more thing to Nigel.

"Hey, Nigel."

Nigel stopped and turned around back to Rocky. He looks at him who stares back for several seconds until he spoke of what he wanted to tell Nigel.

"What? Make it quick because that Grimm is on it's way towards them." Nigel says with slight impatience.

Rocky hesitated for a second but spoke anyways. "I was thinking that, If we survive and pass this test, and form our official team… mind if I buy you a chocolate bar and maybe some pizza for us and our two soon to be teammates? As our ways to celebrate?" He gave an awkward smile in hoping Nigel would give a positive reaction.

The only response was the kangaroo faunus has widened his eyes at hearing the mention of chocolate bars that he was almost flabbergasted by hearing that.

"The moment I encountered you in this forest, I noticed you got pretty pissed at that Reaper Mantide for running your chocolate bar which I saw laying way back their all broken and messed up. So I was thinking….. maybe it would be pretty great to strengthen our partnership by doing something a bit of generosity." Rocky explained to Nigel with a nervous smile in hopes Nigel would accept that/.

"Isn't that what partners and friends do?" Rocky further asked. "For making me feel a little more open with myself and understanding how I feel, I was wondering if I can return the favor for you."

And so, Rocky slowly walks up to Nigel, talking out his hand and spits on it, then extending it out to Nigel. "So, how about it, partner?"

Nigel is still a little flabbergasted hearing what Rocky said to him. Surely, while he knows Rocky is no idiot or lunatic, he wasn't expecting Rocky to have that level of awareness and foresight to even be aware he got upset of losing his favorite chocolate bar in the heat of battle. And seeing how Rocky is now showing his softer side with no hint of comedy to it, he starts to smile a bit.

"You got yourself a deal, mate." Nigel agreed as he spits on his own hand and then grabs Rocky's own spit hand and both shake in agreement. "Pizza it is."

"Sweet!" Rocky cheered.

"And make sure it's Dark Chocolate." Nigel further added which Rocky nodded.

They see the Cyclops is now beginning to pick up speed which means now or never.

"Now then. Let's form our team!" Rocky shouts as he gets into position as he does a pose like he's about to perform an olympic dive. And after one big deep breath, he leaps into the air with such grace that he's doing so many different twists, turns, and somersaults until he straightened out and dives head first down the gorge.

As for Nigel, he grips the vines tightly and anchors himself in place, assuring himself he can support the weight of three people, including the tallest and heaviest one he sees with his semblance.

* * *

**A few minutes earlier.**

Taking place at the bottom of the gorge and near the end of it, coming around a tight corner is yet again Adam and Gale who have been running for some time like they were on a marathon. They are heavily panting since they have run for quite a while through the twists and turns of the gorge filled with all kinds of obstacles that are scattered across the gorge

Based on the lack of bones and weapons in this location, the Cyclops likely doesn't dwell in this part of it very often, if at all.

That is, once they managed to turn that corner and dashed ahead… they noticed something that stopped them dead in their tracks and much to their horror.

"You've got to be kidding me…." Adam groaned how much more lady luck isn't on their side.

"Oh crab baskets…." Gale also said in a mix of horror and disbelief of what's in front of them.

Much to their distress, they have now reached the edge of the gorge… there is hardly any way out of it. The walls are mostly smooth and don't have a lot of ledges and places to grip onto to climb up, along with no place to jump onto either. Even if they somehow managed to climb as fast as they can up the vertical cliff, it would take too long to climb over a hundred feet when the Cyclops isn't too far behind. They doubt they could even get halfway up there before the Cyclops gets in range and grabs or smashes them to a pulp.

"Great. Now we're at a dead end and there's no place for us to climb or jump onto." Adam groaned in frustration. "To think we would get a head start to escape. Only to end up being cornered again."

"Hate to say it… but yeah. This just ain't our lucky day." Gale agrees, but then he is thinking about using that technique he did back in the underground ruins of Sanus that helped him launched up like a rocket and helped him escape back to the surface. "Maybe we can use some wind Dust to help us.

"What are you implying?" Adam asked.

"I did this stunt once a little while ago and it helped me escape a place that I would call a deathtrap. Let me make some preparations."

"Well if it's gonna get us out of this hellhole, then be my guest. Because that Grimm is about to round that corner and we're already cornered." Adam deadpanned right before another roar echoed across the which indicates the giant brutish Grimm not far away.

However, Gale realizes he doesn't have enough Dust. Only half the amount left in each gauntlet and that's all he has left, as he used up some of it during the beginning of the initiation, more on the other Grimm, and especially tons of it against the Cyclops.

"_Maybe if I poured half of one and filled the other half to full, maybe it will… no. That's too risky trying to fly with one arm, especially carrying another person."_

"Sigh. Well doesn't that suck to have lost one good option? I was hoping I could do that again since I actually had fun doing it once. Guess I overdid it and didn't check."

"Don't blame it on yourself." Adam looked at Gale with no ill intent against him. "Even if we had enough Dust and got out of here, that Grimm will likely just persist and keep chasing us until it either catches us or we're forced to stand our ground again." He leaned against the wall to ease the soreness and to think what they should do; either stand and fight or escape and run away again… they feel like picking the latter but that seems out of the question.

If they had at least two more teammates with them, their odds would stack in their favor.

"And besides… for what I said to you earlier about calling you out for shooting the Grimm in the eye when I tried to warn you…"

"No no. It's pretty much the fact that one was on me and I'm the one who wasn't thinking straight." Gale raised his hands and smirked at his partner. "I got nothing against you either so we're cool."

"Heh. Same for me then." Adam smiled back but they both frowned as they heard the roaring again.

The two laid against the wall of the cliffs, waiting for the inevitable that's just around the corner, while trying to think of a way to escape… and there are none yet.

"Well, for what the headmaster said, he wasn't joking about his warnings for this initiation… because I can't help but feel there's a chance we may die if we don't escape or get help, as much as I want to deny it." Gale drly admits and feels a chill running up his spine. Honestly, for many of the battles he has faced, this is perhaps the scariest yet that he has ever faced a Grimm like this. He isn't sure if even his full transformation could take it on alone and win, let alone with Adam supporting him….. what's harder for him was that he used to rely on his grandfather for comforting warmth, grandfatherly care, and especially his protection to the point he had to train himself so hard to even take care of himself properly.

But, at the same time, since his grandfather passed away when he was barely a pre-teen, he had to fend for himself and can't stay in the nearby villages for long, because they either rely on him too much to protect them or fear him when they discover his mysterious heritage and power which just attracts more Grimm. Despite how much he wants some of the attention and gratitude, after losing his grandpa, all he has known back then was to fend for himself, even trying to not to succumb to his loneliness that kept crawling up his back. At least some of the villages will still remember him, even with statues, in their gratitude.

Adam felt a similar feeling. For one thing… he hasn't experienced fear much… In fact, he barely even feels fear creeping up on him because he's seen so much of the horrors in his younger days that some even have scarred him physically and mentally at a really drastic level…. Only the help of his master's training has helped him get a grip on his emotions better; constantly practicing to keep his emotions in check and not succumb to his anger or fear. In fact, he did a little bit of that this morning before preparing for the initiation.

But this… this Grimm they are trying to run away from… has somehow managed to make him feel afraid of it, since he first laid eyes on it when it hid in the shadows.

With the possibility that death is at their doorstep, they feel like talking to each about themselves to ease the fear and dread that's trying to choke them.

"So, uh. What reasons have brought you and your black haired, bow wearing, friend to this academy?" Gale ended the silence with a question.

Adam looked at Gale and felt a little perplexed why he would bring Blake to this conversation since it's just him and Gale but goes with it anyways.

"Well, not gonna say too much, but let's just say we came here to become huntsmen so we can end the injustice this world suffers from." Then he frowns a little. "Yet, deep down within myself, it's far harder than simple words and dedication to end all of it in such a short time…. It will always exist in Remnant." He sighs but remains determined. "Even then, that's why we continue to do what is right until it finally ends." Adam wanted to leave out the part he and Blake are from the White Fang... even if by chance Gale has no idea about what the White Fang is. He's not taking no chances and is intending to keep it a secret... for now.

"Man. That's gotta be rough." Gale sympathized but understands and still supports Adam. "For what I know and heard, regardless that I haven't traveled outside of Sanus, I'm pretty sure and agree with you that not everything is right with this world and something must be done about it, no doubt."

Adam nods. "Indeed. That's why many of us are here for our reasons, justified or not."

Then Gale suddenly smirked a little at his partner which made the mask wearing faunus raise an eyebrow.

"And as for your friend, Blake….are you two, well… you know?" He gestured with his shoulders of what he's suggesting and still smirking at him while also raising his eyebrow. Adam went stiff and his face turned a little red behind his mask but calmed down and answered firmly, trying not to falter.

"No… not really. We're just really close friends. We've known each other for quite a long time… it's kinda natural between us to stick close together for so long." Adam said, trying to not sound flustered. "But now, since it seems now I'm your partner and Blake has likely already found her own, if not an entire team; I guess we can only see each other at certain times."

"I was just wondering so that's nice to hear." Gale nods and respects that. As much as he enjoys the company of other guys… Gale doesn't have a lot of experience being around other girls, despite all his grandfather's teachings about the opposite sex….. though, there's that blonde girl he knows… but doesn't want to think about it.

"_Guess you were thinking long ahead and prepared to teach me a lot of things, before I was ready, Grandpa_." Gale mentally thought about his grandpa who was as wise as he was old. _"Were you doing all of that for me, because you knew your time was short?"_

Adam stared at Gale with slight interest, who is still in his partial transformed state. He's curious but decides to talk about something else first in slight curiosity. "Since I have given my reason, Gale, then what are _your_ reasons for being here?"

Gale thinks about that question… in fact, he still isn't exactly sure of himself what it is, besides making his self proclaimed promise to his long dead grandfather of becoming a huntsman and to prove himself of becoming strong. The more he thought about it, the more he was puzzled as he realized he didn't exactly think this through.

"Huh.. come to think of it." Gale scratched his chin a little. "I haven't really thought of it, besides slaying a Baku with my bare hands, pledging an oath of becoming a huntsman, and making my grandfather proud for what I can do."

"Your grandfather?" Adam said in curiosity but Gale then looked a little sad which made the masked swordsman begin to think something wrong had happened. Though, he was also impressed hearing Gale's claim that he slayed a Baku which he has heard of their cunning and ability to put their targets to sleep, yet, never seen one with his eyes.

"Yeah… he was the only family I had who properly raised and trained me… only to pass away when I was barely a pre-teen…" Gale said in somberness. As much as he managed to move on, his memories with his grandfather will never be forgotten, even until he too dies.

Adam frowned and felt even more sorry for Gale and his backstory, now wondering what kind of personal hell he's been through compared to his very own that he tries to on from… but he knows it will always be with him which frustrates him to no end.

"Since then, I was left to fend for myself and train, mostly alone… not even bothering to stay in other villages for too long, not wanting to risk having them either rely on me, nor them finding out about what I am…." He sighs but remains looking on ahead, still waiting for the Cyclops to show and get this over with. He would rather fight the Grimm than sit here and wait. But sharing a bit about himself makes him feel more open and relieved to have yet another person, human or faunus, to not see him as some kind of freak.

"Speaking of that… then what do you believe you are you exactly?" Adam asked, trying to sound as respectful as he can without offending Gale but the elephantine humanoid isn't offended in the slightest. "I'm just being curious and mean no offense to you."

Gale chuckled, not feeling offended, considering they are in a situation where they could die, it doesn't hurt to share a bit of himself. Might as well bond a little if this will be their last moments… hopefully not. Just before he gave his answer, he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his lucky blue feather that he still has with him, the same one his grandfather gave to him.

He calmly stared at it for a few seconds and answered Adam's question.

"Well… hehe… as much as I myself want to know… but even I'm not sure what I am exactly." Gale chuckled awkwardly as he continued to stare at the feather. "Am I a human? A Faunus? Some kind of unnatural hybrid that stands between the borders of them and breaks the laws of nature? I just don't know right now…. even grandpa didn't know and had a proper answer for me." He scratched then elephant ears which twitched and flap in response while poking the tips of his tusks with his fingers, showing his new features are in fact a part of him.

"_Or maybe it's because he would never tell me…?" _The orangette thought but shrugged it off and didn't want to think about the possibility of his grandfather keeping a secret from him.

"It's fine, Gale." Adam answered without sounding disappointed. "If you don't know your origins and can't find them yet, then you shouldn't think and worry about _what_ you are that matters... but _who _you are…" He stayed silent until he finished it. "At least that's what my master said to me during my training."

Adam can still remember being taught by his master to focus on being himself and not about his faunus heritage that defines him, which helped him pretty well…. It took him awhile to realize that due to having anger issues he couldn't deal with easily until he did eventually.

"Heh. Seems the both of us have something more in common than we first thought a few minutes ago." Gale complimented

"I can agree on." Adam affirmed than looked at the feather which actually seems to almost match the color of his hair. "Nice feather, by the way."

"Thanks. Grandpa gave it to me as a gift and a charm to keep me safe." Gale smiled.

"I can imagine your grandfather must be proud."

"And I can imagine your master must be proud too."

Both of them chuckled and went silent again of how much they are really bonding during such a time like this.

"_I hope that's true…." _Adam mentally said to himself, wondering if his master is in fact proud of him…. despite going their separate ways without any mutual goodbyes besides his mentor's last words of advice…..

But all that deep thought is over as the ground trembled that they almost lost their footing and the Cyclops has finally found them, as it rounded the corner and glared at them with it's one eye.

"Whelp. I guess that's enough sharing about ourselves as we may now be facing our possible demise." Gale deadpanned as he straightened up and prepared for battle. _"Guess I'm gonna be using my trump card after all."_

"Yes. It seems this might be the fight for our very lives so give it everything you got as I will too." Adam glowed a bit again and gets into stance as he draws Wilt out and holds the other katana in his hand. "As much as I hate to say it, Gale….. If we perish here, then it was nice getting to know you… and it's an honor for you being my partner.

"Yeah…. You too, Adam." Gale smiled but then decided to reach his arm out in the shape of a fist, asking for a fistbump. "Wish you luck and hope we make a great team."

Adam looked at the fist but easily knew what it meant and smiled back as he formed a fist with his free hand.

Adam's only was a nod as he stretches his arm out and does the fistbump with Gale. The two then turned their attention to the Cyclops. They got into their battle stances, as Gale puts his fists up while Adam draws Wilt out of its sheath and wields both it and the borrowed katana.

The Cyclops itself that stood in place and tried to intimidate them with its one eyed glare and soul wrenching growl, since it has them cornered but it hardly felt any fear coming from them… and all there was emitting from the two are their determination and desperation to fight and live.

"_Blake… if I don't make it back alive… please take care of yourself. If you already have a team already…. let them watch your back. That's all I wish to tell you." _

"_Grandpa… as much as I want to deny it, but if this is where I fall today… I'll see you soon and tell you I did my best." _

The Grimm stomps forward which begins to pick up speed, intending to smash it's now cornered targets, giving out another roar of ending this senseless chase.

"BRING IT ON!" Both shouted at the top of their lungs in defiance, as if it's their last stand and the will to never fall to the darkness that is coming towards them like a massive shadow of darkness threatening to swallow them up.

Though… among such a tense moment…..it seems fate has decided a different path for the two… well, a rather _exhilarating_ kind of path.

"Hidey Ho there!" Shouted a voice from above which caught the two off guard who looked up with confusion on their faces. What they see is another faunus who's a road runner, with a green mohawk, and is coming down fast with what appears to be a vine wrapped around his legs….

They are confused and don't know what to say as Rocky is now within arms reach

"Need a lift, you two? Because you definitely need it!"

On cue and perfect timing, Nigel finally anchored his feet into the ground and pulls with all his might which forces the vines to straighten out and stretch from the force of Rocky's weight and Nigel's pulling.

As Rocky's descent began to slow down from the bungee vines reaching their limit to stretch, he reached out and grabbed the two confused boys by their arms; grabbing Gale's arm with one hand and grabbing Adam's with the other… the same hand that still has his and Nigel's spit on it…. which is now all over Adam's arm.

The Cyclops was at first confused but then bellowed in complete anger as it realized what's happening. Where did this feathered insect come from? It looked closer and saw the vines the feathered nuisance came from and also saw another insect up there at the edge of the cliff. It's too far away to get there in time.

So it decides to improvise by gripping it's club with both hands and reeling them back… like as if it's going to throw it….

Next stop; The Surface!" Rocky cheered as the recoil of the vines kicked in and now both he and his two new buddies start ascending up the Gorge at a fast pace.

But the Cyclops wasn't done with them as it threw the club with all its might that it spun and hurtled towards them.

"Now just keep yourselves calm, as me and my partner will bring you up and we'll be good as- HOLY MOTHER OF FU-!" Rocky shouted in complete shock and horror, as his eyes bulged out of his head, seeing a giant club the size of a tree coming at them full throttle that may turn them into a smear against the cliff faces if it directly hits them. Thankfully, they were lucky to barely miss it as the club smashed into the cliff with such great force that it _embedded _itself into the cliff which shook like it was a small earthquake and sent massive cracks snaking all over it that some even reached the top and cracks opened up near Nigel's feet, lo.

"Holy-Dooley!" Nigel exclaimed as he already felt the vines loosen up which means Rocky and the other two are coming up but he almost lost his balance of the shaking in the ground which was splitting apart. Still, he kept his grip steady as his partner and the two boys are nearly at the top. "What just happened?! An earthquake?!"

"I think my life flashed before my eyes…." Rocky said with his pupil shrunken and sounded shocked out of his wits. But he didn't let go of Adam and Gale as they finally reached the top seconds after. Rocky regained his senses and he let go of the two who landed on their backs while he twisted and twirled in midair until he landed on his feet and struck a pose like he completed an olympic stunt.

"TA-DA!" Rocky shouted with flair as if he's reliving his good old days again. For some reason, even a bunch of floating giant cards with the number "10" on each of them have suddenly appeared and are floating above him. But all Adam and Gale sees is him seemingly being a show off and are wondering where those cards came from which shortly disappear after.

"Just… what is going on?" Adam said in confusion, trying to wrap his brain around this. First he and Gale were about to fight to the death and now they got saved from these two who came out of nowhere… and now here they are.

"Well… at least we managed to get out of that gorge… just not in the way we expected it." Gale says as he says as he got and helps Adam to his feet too. "Plus, I didn't even need to waste the rest of the Dust I still have."

Nigel and Rocky then walk over to Adam and Gale who stare back right after they recovered. The four boys, two pairs, stared at each for a few seconds until Adam spoke to end the silence.

"I take it you two have saved us?" Adam asked, making sure they are students who are partially attending the academy and not a bunch of spies trying to sabotage this place or something or the sort…. Or Grimm disguised as humans. You may never know.

"You bet your sweet little lives that we did." Rocky smirked as he stood next to Nigel and having his arms crossed.

"In his words; you are correct, mate." Nigel affirmed while tipping his hat in his way of greeting.

"So does that mean we're a team now?" Gale asked as he rubbed the back of his head, still trying to comprehend what happened that went from what seemed to be the ultimate battle to now shifting to being saved in a rather silly way.

"Based on us four being in the same location and being this close while having direct eye contact, than yes." Adam affirmed as he walked up to Rocky and Nigel with Gale also stepping up and getting close to their new teammates.

And so, the four introduce each other by their names as they shake each others hands.

"Adam Taurus." Said Adam.

"Nigel Arvo." Replied Nigel.

"Gale Hathi." Gale spoke with enthusiasm.

"And I'm Rocky Rhode Runner!… and before you say something about my name, of course, it rhymes with the kind of bird that I am." Rocky finished which made Nigel chuckle but Adam and Gale were a bit confused but tolerated it no less.

After their mutual greetings and handshakes, they got down to business.

"So it's apparent we have come together and we're yet another step closer to finishing our test." Adam said as he looked at Nigel and Rocky. "The only thing we need to do now is retrieve the relic and we'll be done."

"Speaking of the relic. Have you guys already retrieved one or you haven't yet?" Gale asked in hopes they have the relic so they can finish their test sooner. Truthfully, Nigel and Rocky already got the relic which is the White Bishop which Nigel still has tucked into one of his pockets on his vest.

Before Nigel and Rocky could answer their question, the ground suddenly trembled, followed by the roar of the Cyclops coming from the gorge.

"Don't tell me what I think it is…" Gale mutters as the four peer over the edge of the cliff and look down… what they see almost scared them out of their wits… the Cyclops CLIMBING up the cliff faces by digging it's fingers and toes into the stone to give it a place to grip and help it climb up. It already yanked its own club out of the wall and is carrying it with one hand.

The four boys, especially Gale and Adam, were shocked seeing the giant being able to climb up like that, showing it isn't giving up that easily, as it roars loudly to announce it isn't done with them.

"Tch. Still persistent, aren't you?" Adam scowled at their adversary who just won't leave them alone."

"So it seems the bugger still has unfinished business with you two?" Nigel asked Adam and Gale who looked at him like it's obvious to them.

"Yeah. It just won't leave us alone." Gale answered with a sigh.

"You know… that Grimm is actually pretty damn scary coming up towards us with that look in its eye…." Rocky gulped as he stared down into the Cyclop's burning eye. If looks could kill, then he would be instantly dead just by gazing into that intense orb of hate and rage.

Out of reflex, Rocky draws his revolvers and open fires, unleashing many bullets laced with fire, ice, and electricity… but none seem to be working as the Cyclops quickly shuts its eyelid and turns it head away and tanks all the bullets and their elemental effects. There was no damage done as the fire and electricity dissipated while the ice cracked and melted away shortly after.

"Not even a scratch?!" Rocky exclaimed.

"It's no use. For what we have, we can't harm it that way." Adam said and looked towards the forest. "We need to make a run for it and hope it loses us." Gale nodding in agreement that he too feels like running for it. Nigel seems also feeling like they should run while Rocky was already putting his weapons back into his holsters since they aren't working.

"Yeah! I'm with you on that! So let's all… RUN AWAY!" Rocky shouts and begins running like his life depended on it.

And so, the four teenagers began to sprint towards the forest as the Cyclops finally reaches the top of the cliff and stands up at full height. It already knew what they were doing as it roared and chased after them into the woods.

The four are trying to shake it off their trail and force it to lose them in its sight so they can hide and escape it. But it's still too close for them to lose get it off their tails as it barreled through the forest, knocking every tree in its way, even uprooting a few and throwing them at the four in hopes of hitting them.

The Emerald Forest was now getting riled up as a path of destruction was made by the Cyclops which sent clouds of dirt into the air and the thundering bellow of the Grimm echoed across the entire forest.

The only thing the four huntsmen in training can do for now is to run and hope they can get the Cyclops off their backs.

* * *

**Meanwhile; The Temple.**

Back at the temple where the rest of the remaining chess pieces lay, there stood Blake and Yang who just retrieved their own white chess piece which is the Knight.

Earlier, Yang and Blake ended up encountering each other when Yang was fighting off a pair of Ursai Grimm… and she completely annihilated one of them after it swiped out a strand of her luscious blonde hair, while Blake killed the other with her Gambol Shroud shortly after.

After they partnered up, the two have recently found their own chess piece and are now wondering what they should do next..

"**GRAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

Their silence ended when they heard a faint but still audible sound that sounded something like a bellowing roar…. The same one Blake heard earlier but much more clearly now.

"_There it is again… but it's making my hair stand on end…."_ Blake thought in concern. Recognizing the same kind of roar she heard before.

"Blake… did you hear that?" Yang said to Blake, sounding like she was on her toes and trying to not sound scared. She wondered what that sound was… it sounded so monstrous and bone chilling than any roar she's heard so far.

"Yeah… I clearly have heard it." Blake answered, also feeling a little unnerved, even if it was far away from their location. "It has to be the roar of a Grimm. What else can make a sound like that?"

"Yeah.. I think it definitely is too." Yang agreed and confidently smirked, feeling excited, despite the chills going up her spine. "As long as I can remember, I've never heard the sound like that one before. I can't help but feel like going over there and giving it a knuckle sandwich."

Blake sweat dropped from hearing that, already starting to know her partner is a little too passionate when it comes to fighting. "Yeah… good luck with that."

She recalled how feisty and smug Yang was against the Ursai, right before demolishing one of them when they swiped a strand of hair from her head so she can tell Yang loves the thrill of fighting, even against bigger and meaner threats above her level.

Though, before Blake could think any further of the possibilities, she and Yang heard another sound… that sounded like a girl screaming.

And now some girl is in trouble!" The blonde added, until that's when Blake's cat ears that are beneath her bow.

"HEADS UUUUUUUUUUP!" Shouted a high pitch scream that belongs to none other than Ruby Rose… who somehow ended up in the sky is now falling towards Blake and Yang…. Only for Jaune, who is also flying in the air out of nowhere, for some reason… and ends up ramming into Ruby….

* * *

**Meanwhile; Ozpin and Glynda**

Glynda was skimming through every drone that is online within the forest, trying to find the source of the sound and to make sure she's not her having her mind play tricks on her.

She broadened the entire screen of her tablet with every video footage from the drones she's connected with are minimized and lined up on the entire screen. She's constantly sliding the screen to find what she's looking for but there hasn't been any yet.

"_As much as I don't want it to be true, I need to see for myself either way."_

That's when she decided to find a video with a frequency filled with lots of Grimm activity which may help her find what she may be looking for. After several seconds of scanning and loading, the tablet finally gave Glynda a footage that she may be looking for.

She hesitantly taps her finger on the live footage and watches.

For one thing, one of the drones has managed to find Rocky and Nigel who are now running with Adam and Gale.

"_It's those four. And they managed to form their team, no less. Well at least they-"_

That's when the drone saw something massive bursting through the trees and coming towards it. It moved so fast that the drone couldn't move out of the way in time and all Glynda sees, seconds after, on the screen is static.

_"What was that?" _Glynda thought in surprise, being caught off guard of whatever came at the drone and likely smashed it out of commission. _"It happened to fast that I didn't even see it..."_

Thankfully, right before the drone was destroyed, it already recorded the footage and saved it on the recorded files which Glynda accessed. Once she found the most recently uploaded footage, she played it again, seconds before it was taken out, and paused the video at the exact moment and sees something massive and balck... but it's so blurry and its hidden behind the trees. She than managed to slow down play through while she enhanced the quality of the video to make it a not more clear to see and got a good look at it... and that's when Glynda's blood ran cold and her pupils shrunk in slight terror.

While the figure is still blurry and hard to see... it was massive and humanoid in shape... and in the center of the head appears to be some a reddish-orange sphere glowing in the center of the head...

The more she stared at it... it highly resembled something that seemed familiar to her... that's when something snapped in Glynda's mind as she put the distant sounds and the image together...

"No… it can't be…." Glynda whispered in horror and disbelief, trying to deny what that thing on her scroll is suppose to be as her hands started to shake and her hands ran cold. "That's can't be possible... it just can't..."

But that didn't go unnoticed as Ozpin saw Glynda visibly shaking and sweating that she looked pale and sickly.

"Are you alright, Glynda?" Ozpin said in hopes she's okay… but Oz knows far better than that because he knows she's not okay in the slightest.

But Glynda didn't answer as she was still as a statue, slowly starting to shake and her pace of breathing began to increase, like she's suffering a fever.

"Glynda?... Glynda?"

But Glynda couldn't hear Ozpin as her mind, because she was experiencing a memory…. a tragic memory that she wanted to forget but never could….

Everything within the memory was blurry and hazy, along with being surrounded by thick green smoke, almost like it was a mirage and an illusion to her.

Suddenly, the smoke started to swirl and conjure into something that was part of the memory; it looked like it takes place somewhere in the Emerald Forest but the memory is still blurry.

That's when she hears a soft and gentle voice within the memory… a voice that Glynda knew so long ago and were the last words she heard in person… the voice of an old friend.

"_For the sake of our academy and for me, I ask you, please become a skilled and wise Huntress, Glynda." _

Among the illusion of her memory, two silhouettes materialize… one is a massive humanoid, one eyed, monster, while the other appears to be a young teenage girl in a combat outfit that's made of blue with skin tight bodysuit and a skirt, and two pigtails with blue ribbons attached to the ends. But the strangest thing is what appears to be her feet which are apparently glowing red and sparkle with energy. The two appear to be squaring off like it's a fight to the death.

"_Wait! Don't do this-!" Yelled another voice that actually sounded like Glynda… but younger…. "Don't fight it without us! Without me! You can't do it alone!"_

"_That's why I'm giving you all the chance to escape… because if you all stay with me… then we will all perish. That's why you're going to make that promise for me, my dear best friend." _

Through Glynda's vision, it appears the silhouettes are coming distant as if she's being dragged away.

"_No! Please no! You can't do this!" _Shouted the voice of the young Glynda who now sounds desperate and full of distraught like she doesn't want this to happen. The silhouette of the girl then gets into her stance as her feet glow even brighter like she's charging a powerful attack.

"Be strong_, Glynda… because there's no place like Beacon." _

"_DOROTHEA!"_

"_GRAAA_**AAAHHHHH!"**

"Glynda!" Ozpin shouted for the seventh time, trying to snap Glynda out of her trance. At the same time, the roar finally reached where they were standing, faint, but audible for both of them to hear.

"_What in the Brothers Grimm did I just hear?"_ Ozpin thought but kept his focus on Glynda since she was panicking and she needs help.

Glynda started to breath faster that she was starting to hyperventilate, as she was starting to sweat, almost like she's losing her mind. She even felt her legs weaken and she shakingly fell to her knees.

"Glynda!" Ozpin shouts in worry as he quickly walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder to slightly comfort her. "Are you alright?"

"_No. She's not alright." _Ozpin worried, already knowing something is wrong with her reaction and the roar._ "I know her better than anyone else in the academy and I know how she feels in different situations."_

"_She's been traumatized by something that triggered her to relapse…. In fact, I've never seen her this traumatized since...no… how can it still be here when it should've been dead a long time ago?" _Ozpin thought in a realization of horror but he needs to focus with the surveillance but he needs to help Glynda first.

Ozpin gazed towards the horizon where his new students have gone… having a really bad feeling there's something out there that should be impossible to be around but he still put his hand on her shoulder to support and comfort her.

The blonde professor eventually managed to calm down, as her breathing finally slowed to a normal pace. Regardless, the huntress is still shaking a little and barley holding her tablet in her hand.

"_At least I got her to calm down a little. We don't need any Grimm coming over here." _The headmaster mentally sighed, trying to make the situation as calm as possible. Once Glynda was able to regain her bearings, she still looked distraught that it made Ozpin still worry for her.

"Since you are able to hear me better, are you alright, Glynda?" Ozpin asked his co-worker who is able to hear him more clearly.

"I'm… not fine... but I can manage…" The professor paused between her words but is able to think more clearly. Ozpin helped her up back to her feet until she was able to stand by herself.

"Professor... I think I need to speak to you about something... something that I consider may STILL be here... the same thing that I've encountered before..." Glynda weakly spoke that it's barely above being a whisper, as she shakily points at the footage showing the Cyclops chasing the four boys through the woods.

Ozpin didn't want to admit it, but he can't deny that it was the same roar of the Grimm he had heard all those years ago on that day….. and the blurry image that is the apparent evidence supports the possibility even more

"Hmmm..." Ozpin hummed at the image, narrowing his eyes a bit since the image does look blurry but he can clearly make a distinction the thing is clearly humanoid and may also have one eye... and appears to be carrying what looks like some kind of club in its hand.

"Ah." Ozpin answered. "It appears we have a peculiar resident in the Emerald Forest that we clearly have never seen or heard before... one that looks oddly familiar..."

"Yes." Glynda said but slowly feeling more distressed by the second. "And does it remind you of something during my own initiation?"

Ozpin didn't answer right away and just stared.

_"As I've feared... even if by the smallest chance it isn't what we think it is... its clearly the monster that really changed Glynda's life... and I'm shocked how its still here."_

Ozpin lets out a small sigh and looks at Glynda with slight concern as if he's on the same boat with what Glynda fears may be true.

"I don't even need to assume what that image is may relate to what you have experienced all those years ago?" The headmaster said to Glynda.

"Yes." Glynda answered but sounding really concerned that she looks like she wants to take immediate action like its an emergency. "We clearly see this as evidence its no doubt a Cyclops... most likely the very same one that I've met before."

"And that's quite a shocking discovery to comprehend, even for me." Ozpin says but sips his mug after.

"And with that kind of Grimm being in the Emerald Forest... I believe we need to do something about it." Glynda says, with a more serious tone like she wants to

Ozpin doesn't say a word which further encountered the blonde professor to give out what she thinks they need to be doing to deal with the Cyclops...

"Professor Ozpin... I deeply know how important the initiation is for us and especially for the students to become huntsmen and training they dreamed of becoming and are almost reaching that dream... but I think we need to call the initiation off and deal with that Cyclops before it takes any more lives because they don't stand a chance against it..."

Glynda felt like something must be done... even if it involves disrupting their surveillance and deal with the problem directly themselves, saving the lives of the new students that are in the same place that demonic monster is hiding.

Ozpin stared at Glynda in silence after what she just said to him who stares back at him for several seconds until he gave his response.

"I understand your reasons, Glynda. I really do." Ozpin responded but didn't budge as lets out a big sigh, already knowing how Glynda is gonna take his response that she will definitely not like hearing. "Yet, despite that it may still be out there... it doesn't change our position for this initiation."

Glynda's eyes slowly widened at what she heard from the headmaster... like its some kind of sick twisted joke and brushed aside like its nothing to him. Even with something that gave her terror is still out there, Ozpin answered as if its a minor inconvenience and continues his duty.

"As always, we remain here and continue to observe the initiation." Ozpin said calmly said, even if bit coldly to his tone, that Glynda stared at him in disbelief to his answer.

That's when Glynda finally snaps right after seeing how Ozpin's responded to this problem that she sees as a really big one.

"W-W-What?!" Glynda responded in surprise and shock which slowly risen to anger.

"A-Are you not taking this seriously? Like it's nothing to worry about, professor?" She growled, seeing Ozpin doesn't seem too phased that she's starting to lose her patience. "Don't you get it, Ozpin? That's the very Grimm that me and many others that also attended could not even come close to killing it?!"

"Of course I do." Ozpin answered and still being calm but Glynda knows he's taking this seriously by the look in his eyes. "And I surely haven't forgotten of the footage when you were doing your initiation many years ago. I've seen with my own eyes what it can do. And I'm especially wondering how it's still here after it was reported that it is believed to have been slain. And yet, it somehow managed to be alive and stayed hidden from us."

"Seeing a blurred image of it on a scroll tablet while standing right here is one thing. But directly witnessing that Grimm face to face ,up close and personal, while feeling it glare into your soul is another." Glynda pointed out, mentioning how scared she felt staring into a Cyclops burning eye that it petrified her way back than. She also felt her patience running thin since she wants to do something about this asap.

"I know that too." Ozpin noted. "I especially remembered you were horribly traumatized that you had to go through almost an entire year of mental therapy to recover, with my help and the best therapist I could find, while still learning in my academy until you've fully graduated."

"But it wasn't just the monster that traumatized you… it was also your childhood friend, Dorothea. The gifted prodigy who sacrificed herself to help you and many others escape. Rest her soul." Ozpin also said, feeling somber of losing a highly gifted girl, who was a close friend of Glynda whom he saw as inseparable together that they were almost like siblings… then she had to stay behind to fight the Cyclops since it slaughtered so many just to buy Glynda and the others some time to escape…. and she hasn't returned ever since.

Even to this day, Ozpin was still filled with sorrow to lose such a highly optimistic and innocent young soul who was willing to give up her life and dreams of becoming a great huntress… for the sake of Glynda. But Glynda took it the hardest that she almost gave up becoming a huntress… but her friend's last words to make the promise helped her keep going forward to where she is now. Even then, Glynda still hasn't completely forgotten that day and she even blames herself for Dorothea's demise.

The more the professor thought about it, the more stressful and angier she got that she wanted to do something to end the torment the Cyclops has wrought, which it still is, once and for all. She focuses back to her scroll and starts typing on it.

"What are you doing, Glynda?" Ozpin said in concern as he doesn't need to guess what she's doing.

"I'm calling the rest of the staff to aid us in stopping that Cyclops before any more students die at the hands of it." Glynda answered as she got her scroll and began to contact Beacon Academy. "I'm considering this an emergency that needs to be directly dealt with."

But just as she was about to send the message, she was stopped by Ozpin who gave her two words.

"No, Glynda."

Glynda stopped her finger pushing the send button as she slowly turned to Ozpin who had his eyes narrowed like he wasn't happy with her.

"Professor…" Glynda said in surprise that Ozpin told her to stop what she was doing… for the first time in her life no less.

"I said, NO, Glynda." Ozpin says with high authority in his tone. "You are not going to do that, not without my permission which I'm not giving you."

"Professor!" Glynda yells, now lost her patience. "I wasn't able to stop that thing when I was just a teen but I'm now more than capable of taking it on and even killing. If you just let me and the other staff track it down and finish it off, it will pay for what it has done."

"Do not make me repeat myself." Ozpin said with a warning. "There will be no staff members who will interfere with the initiation, no matter the dangers of Grimm, and that's final."

"So you're saying you're just gonna let all those students die by the wrath of that monster which I couldn't even come close to killing it?" Glynda shook and quivered. "Have you forgotten what happened to everyone on that day, along with many before and after that were slaughtered?"

"You think I have forgotten all of the previous students that I've sent out, who have fallen and perished in the past initiations?" Ozpin spoke, now sounding that calm and replaced with sorrow in his tone. "Considering they aren't worth my cause and are just expandable in the end to find the perfect huntsmen and huntresses?"

"I…" Glynda tried to say but Ozpin wasn't done as he continued.

"No. I do in fact care about them. The reason I'm doing this is because I want them to prove they are capable." Ozpin said as his tone darkened a little like he's not enjoying what he's telling Glynda "Even to this day, I still remember all of them, since I opened my own academy; their names, faces, weapons, signature colors, symbols, and especially their families that mourn for them. Every. Single. One of them."

He's right on that part. He remembers every last student he invited to his academy and he especially remembers all of the ones that died in the initiation, along with the others on their missions he assigned them to. With each death added, he takes another full brunt of being blamed for their deaths by their families or loved ones.

"And must I remind you; they've signed up by their own decisions, under their own free will? Where they knew, from the start, about the risks and dangers that can get them killed? Having to muscle through all of it to become huntsmen and huntresses in training? Just to protect Remnant with their very lives and without regrets?" Ozpin asked Glynda without missing a beat.

Glynda stood frozen as the headmaster's words bored into her how true they are. She too remembered she had to do the same thing during her initiation and she managed to retrieve the relic she needed… but at the cost of losing her friend. Yet, she did what she had to do, despite how much she was against it in leaving her best friend behind…..

"I've especially haven't forgotten Dorothea;The highly gifted prodigy who was your closest friend that she was practically your sister…" Ozpin calmly said as if saying it hurts him to his core as much it does to Glynda. "As much as I believed something could've been done that she could've been saved, she made that decision for your own sake to live."

He wavered under his breath a little which slowly began to rise. "But even after losing her, I absolutely refuse to have any of my staff, you, nor myself to interfere with the initiation, even if it ends with a few more students dead in the process."

Glnyda didn't say another word as the headmaster tightens his hand around his cane. "Even IF I allowed that, it would only make them lose their confidence because it makes them feel they are not strong and skilled enough to protect themselves; It goes against everything I've built to birth the next generation of huntsman, for the sake of Remnant, and for the peace we're trying to bring that the Grimm are still trying to tear down and destroy."

The headmaster sighed, feeling more somber as he thinks about everything he's done that got him here now. "Yet…. despite all that I just said to you, I have no excuses, Glynda." His head hung low and looked at his mug. "Time and time again, I have made many of the worst mistakes in my life that I still carry with me. I still mourn for all of them and especially for Dorothea... as much as their families and you do."

He loosens his grip on his mug and looks out into the horizon again. "Yet, I will continue to endure and carry the heavy burden on my shoulders, even if I take it all to my grave."

"_And then I have to do it all over again… until either I win… or SHE wins."_

Glynda can see Ozpin's hands quiver… She knows what he's thinking about but keeps her mouth shut to not reveal their secrets for the rest of the world to know.

"So please, Glynda. Let them finish their initiation, without our aid. I'll take full responsibility if any of them die." Ozpin says in hopes Glynda will listen to him.

Glynda was silent for several more seconds thinking about what he said…. as much as she questions his ways of doing things, she knows Ozpin is a good and honest man at heart. She knows he is doing what he believes is right for the greater good in humanity and for Remnant, even taking the responsibility to the fallen and going as far to sacrifice everything he has to protect humanity.

And besides, she has seen what those four boys are capable of compared to what she could do during her younger days… just maybe…..

"Alright. I now understand what you mean, professor." Glynda accepted Ozpin's words but still wasn't fully with it. "Even then… it doesn't change the fact that Grimm is still somehow here and it has murdered a lot of people and counting. It needs to be slain."

"Then let us not be paranoid about the Grimm that's still here." Ozpin told Glynda as he sipped his mug again. "We must trust in them and ourselves they can slay it which will avenge Dorothea and the others. They all may be youths with their futures at stake but they've chosen these paths they have embraced. From there on, they will continue to fight for a future where no one will be divided and living in the darkness."

"Alright. I'll accept it and leave our trust to them to slay it." Glynda narrows her eyes at Ozpin like she's got one thing to say. "But if that Cyclops kills them and comes anywhere near Beacon in a 20 mile radius, then we're calling the staff and taking down that Grimm ourselves."

Ozpin nodded. "I'm absolutely fine with that because there's nothing that says that our staff aren't allowed to kill any Grimm, especially very large and old ones, that come anywhere near the Academy. Lastly, I'll especially take responsibility if they die as well."

And so, the two professors continue to watch the footage of the teenagers facing off against the threat of humanity.

* * *

**Meanwhile; Emerald Forest.**

Somewhere further out in the forest, the four young teens have been running with the Cyclops hot on their heels. The boys were using the trees to swing and leap through them while the Grimm knocked them down in pursuit.

"Can't this guy just give up already?!" Rocky shouts in annoyance as he was leaping through the trees. "Is it THAT desperate to chase us to the ends of Remnant just to taste our flesh?!"

"I have to agree! Even the most stubborn Beringel I've fought wouldn't pursue someone for as long as this!" Gale also shouts as he was also using the trees to swing and leap through.

"Well. Considering this guy likely has eaten so many people, it considers us addicting snacks." Adam also shouted.

"WHAT?!" Both Nigel and Rocky shouted at hearing what they heard but stayed on track of maneuvering through the woods.

"We'll explain later!" Gale told them. They do need to worry about what's chasing them than what it has been eating.

Minutes have passed but the four boys are slowly getting ahead of the Cyclops due to maneuvering through the trees while bigger trees slightly slow it down which gives the four an edge. Eventually, they were reaching the edge of the woods, as trees were spreading out and were fewer in numbers.

Soon, they exited the forest and are out in an open field which wasn't too vast but quite spacious enough to house a few city blocks. Yet, not a single tree or rock in sight within the field, nothing but fresh grass… and standing in the field is something they did not expect.

What the four teenagers have noticed… are a flock of Dire Sheep.

These hoofed mammals are a breed of wild sheep that closely resemble domesticated sheep, covered in thick wool to keep themselves warm during the winters of Vale… except these ungulates are quite massive compared to their domesticated cousins; with females reaching the size of an average cow while the bigger and more sturdy males can reach sizes rivaling that of a full grown bull.

The male sheep each have two pairs of horns; two that curve up and back like that of an antelope, while the other two curl from the sides of their heads like the horns of a ram. The females sport only one pair of horns which are smaller and curve back less on the tops of their heads.

The herd was grazing on patches of fresh grass, while many were bleating and braying to each other. In the center of the flock is a large and heavily muscular alpha male with the thickest coat of wool and the biggest horns to sport. It's busy dining on the finest of grass while showing off it's horns and fleece to it's herd, snorting to assert its dominance to the beta males that live amongst the herd.

"Huh. Looks like we came across a flock of Dire Sheep." Nigel raised his eyebrow in slight curiosity as he turned his semblance on again for a split second. Like all living things, the sheep also have aura which vary in color and patterns. The alpha, obviously, has the strongest and most potent aura of the flock.

"Mostly, these kinds of wild sheep prefer to graze out in the open grasslands and meadows. Though, it's not unheard of to have flocks grazing in the fields surrounded by forests." The kangaroo faunus said to his teammates.

"Ho boy. Just imagine all the sweaters and money we can make with that amount of fleece!" Rocky spouted which made the three other teens slowly turn their heads at him in confusion…. but Gale ended the silence and went with it.

"Sure. Why not? He's not wrong if we did do that." Shrugged the orange haired teen, admitting the amount of lien they could make if they shear all those dire sheep.

That's the least of their worries as they now hear the bellowing of the Cyclops yet again that's getting closer as they can see the trees falling over.

"Just can't leave us alone, can you?" Adam muttered under his breath. As much as they want to fight, since now it's four on one, they rather want to hide or at least gain more distance since they need to recover… but where? They are out in the open and there's no place to hide as there's nothing out in the fields…. but Dire Sheep.

That's when Rocky had yet another idea that he's grinning.

"I got it! I have another idea that will surely save us!"

"Like what?" Nigel snarked as he rolled his eyes. "Another catapult but with four people this time?"

"...Catapult?" Gale said in confusion. "Uh... Am I missing out on something here?"

"Don't ask." Nigel firmly told Gale that definitely tells him he doesn't want to discuss it, especially how embarrassing it was for him.

"Trust me! No one is getting launched across the Emerald Forest this time and this will surely help us evade the beast!"

Adam didn't know what to think of it but he sighed anyways since they had little time to argue as the Cyclops is getting closer. "Fine. Let's go along with this and it better be beneficial in sparing our lives or this will all be on you, Rocky."

As on cue, several more trees toppled over and smashed into the ground, as the Cyclops is just about to exit the thick forest and out into the open field where it will surely smash those puny insects. Once it got into the open, it unleashes another loud roar to announce its presence… but once it came out in the open… its targets are nowhere in sight.

The Cyclops tilts its head and grunts in confusion, a bit baffled where the heck those four puny fleshlings went… did they disappear into thin air? It looks around, left and right, even behind itself by bending over and looking between its legs to see where they've gone… but all it sees out in the field are nothing but Dire Sheep.

Strangely, most of the sheep were at first startled by the Cyclops announced roar but they didn't panic nor run away. In fact, once the roar dialed down, the sheep all went back to grazing, not feeling any threat coming from the Cyclops because it isn't directing it's attention or killing intent on them. For some reason, even to this day, animals and Grimm are apparently neutral towards one another and never attack each other, unless it's for territorial disputes.

Though, the alpha male was glaring at the Cyclops and snorted at it but the Cyclops didn't bother with it. It still kept its eye on the giant Grimm, though.

The Cyclops isn't convinced the four insects would just disappear like that. In fact, it swore it can still smell them as it sniffed the air… the last location the Grimm can faintly smell their scent is within the flock, despite it can't sense their fear or negative emotions. Regardless, it stomps out into the field and through the flock. Most of the Dire Sheep ignore the Grimm, except for those that are in it's path as they quickly get out of the way and avoid getting stepped on. The Alpha Male snorts again but decides to ignore the Grimm since it has no interest towards him.

The Cyclops trudged through the flock, trying to find a sign of the four morsels it was chasing after…. but not a clue in sight.

However, among the flock, one of the sheep appears to have something… or _someone _hiding underneath it and clutching to it's belly by wrapping his arms around the torso and gripping tightly on its thick wool that partially hides the arms and hands.

Upon closer inspection… it's none other than Rocky who has managed to hide underneath the sheep and hugged himself closely to it's midsection, using its wool to hide himself from the Cyclops.

Nearby, two other sheep also appear to have two people hiding underneath them; And those two are none other than Nigel and Adam.

But Gale is nowhere to be seen among the sheep. For such a guy his size and bulk, it would make one think it would be easy to spot him trying to hide under one of them, even the slightly larger beta males. That's because he's hiding under the alpha male himself who doesn't seem to be bothered, as it's massive size and thicker wool is enough for Gale to hide perfectly. In fact, Gale had to shrink back to his default human form which is barley small enough to hide under the alpha completely.

Rocky's plan turned out to be that they are using the sheep to hide from the Cyclops which actually appears to be working for them, despite how ridiculous the plan was, since Adam and Nigel weren't too pleased due to the putrid stench of the sheep, and the thick wool getting in their eyes and clothes, were getting on their nerves but Gale doesn't seem to mind while Rocky was glad his idea is working.

Eventually, the Cyclops was scratching its head with its finger, as it was starting to lose patience and thinks they aren't here. They may be elsewhere. It snorted out a cloud of black smoke in slight frustration and began to walk away….

"ACHOO!"

But the Grimm stopped in its tracks when it heard something…. something that caught its interest again.

With such bad luck, Rocky got a piece of stray wool up his nose which forced him to sneeze. Now he's giving off an expression that says "Oh crap" to an all new level but he tries to clear his mind as much as he can to not emit any negative emotion or he will give off his location to the Grimm.

"_Rocky! You bloody idiot!" _Nigel mentally hissed at his partner now putting them at risk of getting exposed. _"If we really do die, I really am gonna give you an eternal wallop and there ain't gonna be any breaks in between!"_

"_Oh no…" _Gale also mentally groaned but stayed put. Adam said nothing as he tried to tolerate the wool getting through the eye slits of his mask.

The cyclops stomped over towards the sheep it swore it heard the sound coming from and even kneels down to get a closer look…. and Rocky is sweating bullets while barley keeping his mind clear to not feel an ounce of fear.

The other three boys couldn't watch and shut their eyes tight as they embraced the possible chance of getting their covers blown and forced to fight it… twice for Adam and Gale.

Though, Gale suddenly felt the alpha he's hiding underneath begin to move….. and gaining speed….

Rocky was starting to sweat even more as the Cyclops was now just feet away that he can even feel and smell its breath… which really stinks.

"_Please go away. Please go away. Please go away. Please go away….. for the love of whatever kind of Gods exist, PLEASE GO AWAY." _Rocky mentally repeated, hoping the Cyclops would go away but it already began to raise its hand and started pointing its index finger at the sheep… intending to poke it and knock it over….

But just as the Cyclops was about to poke the sheep…. something charged at it from the side and smashed into the side of its arm that it flinched and moved it aside.

The Grimm grunted and turned its attention towards the attacker… the Alpha Male sheep, which was the one that rammed its arm.

The Grimm growled in surprise while the Ram snorted and bleated in defiance, feeling provoked the Grimm seemingly looking like it was about to threaten one of its mates so the alpha sprung into action to defend one of his herd members. Though, the Cyclops was more annoyed than angry towards the mammal as its ram did little damage to its bone armor but it was still enough to shove its arm away.

The alpha pawed and scrapped its hoof against the ground and glared at the Grimm, daring it to threaten its herd again. However, the Cyclops was losing interest the longer it stared at the alpha of the herd and even began forgetting about that one sheep it swore it made that suspicious sound.

And so, the Cyclops doesn't bother even attacking as it stood back up and stomps away. While it believes the four insects aren't here, it still ain't done with them as it decides to find them or maybe other humans and faunus elsewhere… it still craves their flesh that it so much enjoys feasting on.

Through the whole thing what the alpha did, Gale was hanging on for dear life and almost lost his grip when the alpha rammed itself into that Grimm arm.

"_Yeesh. For a sheep, this big guy sure packs a wallop. Even from underneath it, I felt its power." _

Once the cyclops was gone, the four boys dropped from their respective sheep and fell on their backs while gasping for fresh air.

"I think that's enough ideas from you for today…." Nigel groaned, trying to remove stray pieces of wool stuck to his clothes and hat.

"At least we're not in a Grimm's stomach." Gale said as he got up and wiped the wool off his hakama pants but he doesn't seem as irritated with it.

"Either way, we managed to narrowly avoid the Grimm so we now have some time to recover and recuperate." Adam informed as he got up and tried his best to get the wool out of his mask without taking said mask off… this doesn't go unnoticed by Gale again as he wonders why Adam doesn't bother taking it off.. but he ignores it for now and regroups.

"_But that doesn't mean we're done with it yet…." _Adam also thought with a fire in his gut, still feeling the will of the fallen that were slaughtered by that abomination.

As for Rocky, he was laying on his stomach, as he was still sweating and spit a wad of wool out of his mouth.

"Phew. I thought it wasn't gonna fool that Cyclops and with us ended up as goners... and a close call for my sneeze" The bird faunus sighed in relief… However, what Rocky wasn't aware of something next to him was a small, adorable, young lamb that stumbled next to Rocky. The lamb easily mistook the green tips of his mohawk as a nice patch of fresh grass that it started to bite down and started chewing on it, even tugging on it to tear it off.

"What the- HEY! That's not a patch of grass, you little piece of lamb chops! That's my hair and you're messing it up!" Rocky exclaimed in annoyance as he stood up which made the lamb let go but it just stood there with a cross eyed look on its face. Rocky checks his hair… which is all ruined and covered in lamb saliva.

"Gross…." Rocky said, grossed out, as he tries to clean it but is not doing very well at it…. and he notices the lamb is just standing there and staring at him.

"Are you gonna stand there like the brainless sheep that you are or are you gonna go back to your mother who you belong with?" Rocky said to the lamb with slight annoyance.

"Bah." Bleated the lamb, not budging an inch.

"Look. As much as I wanna chit chat with you and your ways of grazing in the fields, me and my teammates here got important things to do so…shoo." Rocky flicked his hands like he was trying to shoo the lamb away… it still didn't budge.

"Bah!" Bleated the lamb yet again, even louder and still not moving.

"I said shoo! Shoo! Don't make this harder than it already is!" Rocky yelled in annoyance at the lamb which won't go away.

"Rocky, quit being such a drama queen. It's just a little lamb and it's too young to fend for itself." Nigel told Rocky, not giving a care about this, despite being partners now. "It's not like it's gonna follow you all over the place and see you as it's mother." Rocky's only response was an annoyed glare.

But Gale suddenly walked up to the lamb and knelt down as he gently patted it on the head. "Oh come on you guys. It's probably just hungry and likely got curious upon seeing us."

"Bah." Bleated the lamb yet again but appears to be liking that it's getting the attention. Rocky crossed his arms and gave a stink eye at the sheep for messing with his mohawk which he was fixing with some hair gel.

"Hear. Why don't you have some of this for a treat, little guy?" Gale gently said to the lamb as he pulled out what looked like some dried oats which the lamb quickly gobbled up in it's mouth.

"There you go." Gale said like he was enjoying the lamb cooperating and eating off his hand.

Rocky and Nigel watched on but didn't seem to care. But to Adam…. He saw something precious that he couldn't help but admire and feel a little amused by, despite how simple it is by just feeding a little lamb with oats.

"Bah!" The sheep bleated once more, now satisfied with having such a tasty treat. But the adorable encounter didn't last long for the hoofed mammal and the four teens.

"BAAAAAAAHH!" Bellowed the alpha male, calling out to the entire flock that it's time to move out and find greener pastures to graze on. Hearing the call, the entire flock stopped grazing and headed out in another direction with the alpha leading the herd. But before it went ahead to lead the flock, the alpha stopped in place and stared at the four young boys for several seconds, especially towards Gale, until it saw enough and moved on.

As for the lamb, it quickly reunited with its mother and joined the flock… but it stopped and stared at the the mysterious four beings that it met and especially at the one that fed it those delicious oats. It happily bleats as if it's saying it's own goodbye before heading off with its mother and the flock.

They watched the flock head off which… was actually kind of adorable to them but they got bigger things to worry about since they heard the frustrating roar of the Cyclops nearby.

"I think we need to hide for now, before it decides to come back and spot us." Adam told the other three who nodded in agreement. They quickly ran back into the woods where they came from and hid in a dense part where the Cyclops won't be able to spot or get at them easily.

They finally all sighed in relief and collapsed down on their butts to catch their breaths and recuperate after everything they've been through. While doing so, they are slowly recharging their aura while trying to relax but still on guard in case the Cyclops somehow tracks them down.

"Okay… that was something that saved us from certain death." Adam sighed, admitting it was strange they were saved by sheep, of all things, from a Cyclops Grimm.

"Yeah."Nigel agreed. "Seems I just keep stumbling into things that are just keep getting more bizarre." He looks at Rocky who sheepishly grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Either way, we managed to at least find a safe spot to rest and recuperate. Now is the time we should get down to business with each other." Gale pointed out that Adam nods in agreement who turns to Nigel and Rocky.

"So, as we wondered earlier; do you in fact have or don't have the relic?"

"That we do, mate." Nigel confirmed Adam's question as he pulled out the Bishop relic he still had in his vest pocket, showing them they already got what they needed to finish one the main tasks for the test.

"Huh." Gale said in slight surprise. "Guess we don't need to worry about that now since we now have it."

"And with four of us together. Now we're pretty much a team now." Nigel added to the obvious detail between them.

"So does that mean we're complete now and we just need to return to Beacon?" Rocky

"Technically, yes… but-" Adam tried to say but Rocky didn't let him finish who sounds excited and jumps to his feet.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here and get back to the headmaster so we can finally have our team!"

Feeling confident, Rocky pulled out the capsule with his will and testament in it, as he yanks the paper out and rips it to shreds which he puts them in a plastic bag to not litter. "Guess I don't need this anymore!"

"Uh… we didn't say we were-" Gale tried to say but Rocky

"Now let me scout the place so we can safely make it back without the big guy spotting us!" The bird faunus announced as he begins to sprint away but Adam isn't done with him yet.

"Now you wait just a second. We're not done yet." Adam interrupted with a firm but stern tone to his voice which made Rocky stop in his tracks… that not even both of his feet are touching the ground that he's practically floating in midair just by stopping from Adam telling him to wait. One second later, Rocky fell on his stomach with a loud "OOF!" and looked back at Adam in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" Rocky said in confusion. "We have what we need so why stop now?"

Adam and Gale looked at each other with concerns on their faces like there's something more to it than that. Nigel can already tell since his semblance read their emotions so it's definitely not that simple to them.

"Rocky." Gale said to the bird faunus, trying to sound like they need to be concerned about it. "As much as I want to get back to the headmaster as well… we really shouldn't… not with a problem that we feel needs to be dealt with."

For emphasis on his words, the roar of the Cyclops bellowed in the distance yet again which made Rocky audibly gulp.

"You're saying….." Rocky tried to figure out what Gale was trying to say until Nigel sarcastically pointed it out.

"Oh it's nothing, mate." Nigel said in sarcasm. "All we gotta do is collect some flowers and an entire, double layered, marbled cake for the Headmaster, as a special bonus test to our initiation…. Isn't it obvious, Rocky? We apparently have to slay that Cyclops."

"And you're agreeing with them?" Rocky said with wide eyes on his face like he can't believe his partner is siding with them.

"They haven't explained anything to us why we have to do this so I'm willing to listen first." Nigel pointed out. "And you should too."

"Sarcasm from Nigel aside, but yes, we have to slay that Cyclops." Adam affirmed to what is going on.

"Then why?" Rocky objected, wanting to hear an answer. "It's not like we have to slay every Grimm we come to complete the test, when we get what we need for our tasks."

"True. That may seem easy for us and we could just leave and be done with it…. but you aren't aware of what we saw back in that gorge where we were, before we met you." Gale pointed out with a chill in his tone… remembering what he's seen that made his spine shiver.

Nigel can already tell this isn't gonna be a cheerful topic to talk about since he can sense Adam and Gale are filled with remorse and slight terror but they had to shrug those emotions off to not attract any Grimm and especially not the Cyclops again.

"Why don't you just sit down and listen to us? We'll explain everything to you two what's going on." Adam said to Rocky who seemed unsure of this when they got what they needed already… but since Nigel is siding with them, he doesn't have a choice so what the heck.

"Alright… I'll listen… but it better be a justified reason." Rocky sighed as he sits down next to Nigel while Adam and Gale sit next to each other and across from Nigel and Rocky.

Adam then gets out what looks like a wrapped cloth and reveals it to be a shattered sword.

"What in the four kingdoms is that?" Rocky asked in concern and doesn't need to guess what that is….

"It's a shattered weapon… that belonged to a fallen soul named Gretchen who has apparently fallen to the Cyclops that also took her life." Gale said and looked at the blade with sorrow "...and it's not just her… but many, many, many more back in the gorge."

Nigel and Rocky widened their eyes of what they heard.

"When we entered that gorge to find a way to reach the relic… we stumbled across…. a complete hellhole filled with nothing but death and decay…" Adam growled as he tightened his fist with his anger suddenly rises but he breathes deeply to stop that from getting worse. "While that demon spawn treats their remains as nothing but complete trash left out to rot."

Nigel and Rocky widened his eyes even more in horror, not wanting to imagine that they were slightly shaking what it must've looked like

"It was like we have entered a forbidden place that no human or faunus belongs being in… it's a living nightmare that's brought into reality." Gale finished

Nigel and Rocky had nothing to say as if now their reasons are truly justified without an excuse put into it. Nigel can tell they are not joking and they are just as scared, even by explaining it in their words. They may have seen and heard many scary things in their lives… but this one has topped them all, yet. And now they realize they are dealing with.

"Bloody hell…" Nigel said in disbelief. "So it's really that bad for a Grimm to exist and run rampant in a place like here?" He has encountered a lot of different Grimm through much of his early life, many were life threatening that they can give you nightmares, while others weren't even that scary and are easy to kill… but this Cyclops that was chasing them… is that horrifying to imagine what it's capable of and it's even still trying to find them at this very moment. "Now you've caught my attention, mates."

As for Rocky… he was shocked out of his mind that he can't process what he's just heard. For much of his life, he rarely encountered Grimm of that size and power since he mostly lived with his trainer and usually lived in the most urban areas where Grimm cannot easily invade which makes him feel safe. Not that he's a coward and can fight Grimm of any kind, it's just he feels safe haven in the kingdoms and likes to avoid living outside of said kingdoms where a Grimm.

"And this katana I have in my hand…" Adam gestured with the sword in his hand that doesn't belong to him. "...it isn't mine. It also belonged to another fallen soul who died in that gorge that I felt like wielding to avenge them for that monster taking all of their lives.

"Many more weapons also litter that gorge… so much blood, sweat, and tears to make those tools to fight the darkness… only to rust and fade away to nothing." Gale finished as he stared at Gretchen's sword and the sword Adam holds… then he looks at his own gauntlets he too built with his own hands to show what he made to fight the Grimm as well. This also made Nigel look at his bladerangs and Rocky stare at his double barreled revolvers in silence.

They all look at each other, finally showing the gravity of the situation they are in.

"Now you see why we can't just let that abomination run loose?" Gale now said to both Rocky and Nigel, not a single hint of saying it as a joke. "We're dealing with a monster that is obsessed with the taste of human and faunus flesh. An addiction that can never satisfy it's appetite that it will keep eating until there's no human or faunus left to devour."

Rocky and Nigel still didn't say a word like they are listening to a horror novel being told by a narrator on audio tape. It just sounds so terrifying that they wonder how Gale and Adam are even able to stay this calm but they are just as scared talking about something this surreal and nightmare inducing.

"But there's another I wonder. What I don't understand is how such a Grimm like this lives not so far away from Beacon…. Does Ozpin even know this thing exists?" Gale pointed out and wondered which made the other three think about it too… but there's no evidence to suggest that hypothesis for now so they finish that subject.

Adam nodded to Gale and then turned back to Nigel and Rocky yet again, now drawing his conclusion to what he and Gale had to share.

"Now you see just how serious this is?" The masked faunus says and pointed out, gesturing towards the sound of where the roar last came from. "If we selfishly leave behind that Grimm that has been terrorizing this forest for so long and slaughtering so many souls at its mercy, just to form our own team, then we're all nothing but a bunch of spineless cowards who aren't fit to stand up and fight for the goodness of humanity and the faunus."

Those words struck deep into everyone but especially Rocky, who now instantly regretted trying to get away from the Cyclops but now he understands why it must be stopped which makes him reconsider.

"If we aren't here to fulfill our duty to attend Beacon and save Remnant, then what the Hell are we even for?" Adam asked his teammates to question their motives. "We may have our own motives and reasons, but we all know the primary cause and reason is to become huntsmen

Adam then puts his hand out with his palm facing down, gesturing what he means by it.

"So who's with me?" He asked as the others gaze at him but one is already smiling to his partner

"I'm definitely in, partner!" Gale hollers as he puts his hand on top of Adam's hand, further strengthening their partnership even more.

"Heh. Hearing your story and speech alike makes me want to give that one eyed cretin the one thing it freaking deserves." Nigel smirks as he too puts his hand on top of Gale's.

They all turned to Rocky who seemed full of awe and amazement after hearing Adam's speech like he doesn't know what to say.

"So, how about it mate?" Nigle smirked at his partner. "Wanna prove ourselves that we are men amongst men?" He gestured to the three hands on top of each other. "Doing this will prove we are huntsmen in training, after all?"

Rocky still didn't answer… but in his mind, his fear was slowly melting away and was replaced with a voice that echoed in his mind.

"_**No matter how bad things may look to you or anyone around you, Rocky Rhode Runner. Always try to look up to the positives, over the negatives, and you'll find that even your worst days can have something to remember and treasure forever…."**_

Those were the words of his trainer on the same day Rocky's life forever changed.

After several seconds of processing those words, feeling his fire spark and intensify further to be himself, Rocky sucked in his gut, puffs out his chest, and salutes to Adam like a soldier to his general with great honor. "Sir, yes, sir!" He shouted with energy and pride as he raises his other hand and prepares to join in. "As a member of this four man team, I'm gonna help you guys slaughter that bastard and avenge the fallen of all the innocents it took! WE SHALL ASSEMBLE!"

To complete the team up, Rocky slams his hand on top which finally assembles the four together.

And so, a team of Beacon Academy was born… but it will only truly be official under Ozpin's honor and blessings when they complete it.

The four started to calm down after that assembling moment and sat back down, trying to think what they should do first, and soon since the Cyclops is still out there and still wanting to eat them alive.

"Wow… such an inspiring speech…. Where did you learn to say that?" Rocky said, impressed with Adam's long spirit raising speech.

"I… let's just say my Master has taught me a lot of things." Adam said, trying to brush it aside since he doesn't want to say further which his three teammates can accept.

"Anyways." Adam announced and changed the subject, trying to speed things up in the situation. "It's obvious we have to slay the Cyclops, whenever if it's our weapons, our semblances, or both."

"We all know that's easier said than done, right?" Nigel pointed out the obvious that Grimm is tougher than it looks.

"Yes. For a Grimm, it's really hard to damage that even my stronger attacks barely even put a dent in it's bone armor. Unlike any other we've ever faced in my life. Hell, it's probably more durable than a freaking Alpha Beringel." Gale butted in which made Nigel, Adam, and Rocky stare in surprise at what he claimed about his experience in life.

"And lets not forget it's a club that could flatten us." Rocky also added. "Even with my semblance that could protect me… that thing would still possibly kill me."

"Yes… that's true…" stares at the ground and suddenly feels the need to plan something as he picks up a random stick and begins to draw a stick figure of the Cyclops, wielding its club included. "Just because it's tough and hard to harm, does not make it invincible." The blue haired faunus points out as he taps the stick onto the stick figure. "Every Grimm has a weak point and I think it already has one from the start."

"If we find a way to exploit it, once we nullify all of its strength and exploit its biggest weaknesses, then we can surely slay it before it can counter us."

Adam then stands up and looks at his team with confidence rising in himself.

"So what do you say, team? We must formulate a plan so we can end that Grimm's rampage once and for all."

The other three boys smiled in agreement like they are filled with determination and hope that there may be a chance to win this, as they too picked up their own sticks to draw into the soil.

And so, a montage of the team constantly drawing into the soft soil, with Adam doing most of it with the other three adding some of their own; now they drawing an entire map of the area they are in, writing and drawing all kinds of steps and coordination that each team member is a specific task they will do, with their biggest strengths that will be the most beneficial for them. The entire team drew out the plan that took up most of the area they were sitting in that it could almost fill the space of an entire dinner table.

After twenty minutes of discussing and cooperating, they finally finished their entire layout for their plan. For the finishing touch, in the center of it all was the Cyclops stick figure itself. It's club now has an "X" crossed out on top of it while many arrows connected to other parts of the plan's layouts were pointing directly at the Grimm itself as if it's the main target they must destroy.

"Alright, guys… this is what we'll do with our plan." Adam finished as he and his teammates nodded together and started preparing for the plans to be made. As a final gesture to his plan, Adam dramatically stabs his stick right into the center of the Cyclops Stick figure's eye, showcasing how they are gonna beat the one eyed abomination… while the Cyclops kept roaring in the distance, still searching for them.

* * *

**Finally managed to get this done. Took so long from the distractions of the holidays last year and other things to do but I managed to finish it.**

**Well, I originally was gonna have them face the Cyclops in this chapter but it seems this chapter was far longer than I thought it would be so I had to cut out their final battle with that one eyed Grimm which will be finished next chapter so stay tuned.**

**Anyways, the four boys have finally united and assembled into the team that I've been waiting for so be prepared everyone.**


	9. Stand Together

**RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

**OCs are mine**

**ANGR**

**Chapter 5; Stand Together**

**Emerald Forest.**

* * *

Not far from the ruins where the relics are, eight teenagers, led by Ruby Rose, have all gathered their pieces they have chosen. Currently, they are being stalked by a Deathstalker and a Nevermore that are trying to kill them. They managed to make a run for it but now they are forced to face the two giants at a massive ruined temple.

Elsewhere, the trees were shoved aside and even uprooted from the earth, as the Cyclops trudges through still looking for those four huntsmen in training that it has lately lost sight of and doesn't even know where they have gone or if they are even close by. The more it wandered aimlessly, the hungrier it got. The addicting desire and urge to flatten and devour them made its urge rise higher.

It hasn't tasted another human or faunus for quite some time. It will surely be enjoying the juicy taste of flesh and blood again right after snuffing out their pointless lives. Yet, it's unaware it's being watched as many watchful eyes are hidden in the canopy of the trees, like a pack of shadows stalking the giant in silence.

Deeply hidden by the thick cover of the leaves and branches, it's none other than Adam, Gale, Nigel, and Rocky, playing the role of the hunters, each perching in a different tree

Due to his lighter and smaller frame, Rocky easily kept his balance on the smaller and higher branches. Also helped by his hard and well earned acrobatics that his balance was near perfect without even trying. Further back, Adam and Nigel were balanced on mid sized and lower branches to support their own weight and had to keep their own balance focused.

Lastly. Of the four, Gale, being the tallest and heftiest, was forced to stay perched on the lowest and sturdiest branch without causing a creek or snap that may alert the enemy. As dangerous as the Cyclops is, more Grimm showing up would make things far worse for them.

Even when perched in separate trees, they were able to pinpoint each other's positions. More so for Nigel, thanks to his semblance helping him easily spot his teammate's aura signatures as clear as seeing through glass.

For safety measures, they are using their scrolls to cooperate with each other without blowing their cover. Seems technology can be quite useful in some ways, especially in communication, along with combat and killing Grimm.

Keeping everything together with every step to not make a single error that could jeopardize their plan. If done right, they have much higher chances of beating this seemingly unstoppable monster; not by pure brawn nor special abilities alone…. but a combination of the former two, with brains, numbers, strategy, teamwork, and especially leadership.

Even when he's mostly being level headed, Adam was finding this challenging to remain calm, all because of the overwhelming power and ferocity of the Cyclops, even when compared to every other Grimm he faced. Just staring at it from behind, he still remembers that burning glare from it's giant eye that left his blood running a little cold. And yet, it hasn't deterred him from getting the mission done, despite already having what they needed. They're doing what is right for the better of Remnant.

He's leading these other three on a mission. He just started getting used to their presence, despite not knowing them on a personal level at the moment… they are still his unofficial teammates and he's taking the responsibility leading them for this mission.

Just like he and Blake used to do back at the White Fang… only doing it for the better good without the need of extreme violence and hatred that only brings more violence and hatred.

Now that's all going to change. As he stands with his new teammates, very certain to himself and feeling his trust to them, they need to slay this unholy demon that he promised himself back at the gorge, avenge the deceased that died there, train as official huntsmen in training until graduation, and take the next step towards peace and justice for Remnant.

Another step towards redemption and a better life for Adam; The same kind his master wished for him. Since now is the time, he momentarily cherishes those moments before focusing back onto the mission at hand. He taps Rocky's icon and begins texting a message to his teammate since now is the time for "Phase One".

**You know what to do, Rocky. Make sure you lead it right where we want it. We'll be waiting for you.**

Seconds later, Rocky texts back with his reply.

**10-4, Captain!**

Followed by an emoji that's a thumbs up and another doing a peace sign. Adam knew what that meant and sent his texts to Gale and Nigel shortly after.

**Just signalled Rocky to make his move. Be prepared for the next step once he gets the Grimm's attention and lures it to where we want it to be. And remember, this is a threat we've never faced before so make sure everything we have planned counts.**

The other two, Adam and Gale, got the memo and started to retreat in the opposite direction. Nigel stayed put and kept his eyes on Rocky and the Cyclops. He's best suited for this task he was assigned to as he can easily see the aura signatures of his teammates and the negative energy surrounding the Cyclops.

Rocky's already moving and sneaking closer to the ground, not making a sound of snapping a branch nor rustling a leaf. Even the slightest sound could alarm the Grimm which would risk jeopardizing their plan. Once he finally touched the ground, he silently landed. Avoiding stepping on a twig or a single leaf, and began to lay low and sneak closer. While doing so, he slowly reaches back for one of his revolvers that were tucked in his holsters.

The Cyclops still hasn't found any sign on where those four morsels could be, not even a trace of their negative emotions to pinpoint them… in fact, the last place it sensed their negative presence was near the flock of those fluffy, four legged, creatures, which still makes it feel suspicious…. which no longer matters. It has already been a while since it lost sight of them.

Even then, it hasn't given up on searching them, because it still seeks and desires to have a little taste of their flesh and blood.

But what it doesn't know is that it's already being stalked until….

"HEY! UGLY!"

BANG!

A loud bang of a shot went off, followed by a stray bullet whizzing across the forest and smacked right into the back of the Cyclops' head but simply bounced off. Not even a scratch or dent left behind but enough for the Grimm to have felt that and stopped in its tracks.

"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ONE-EYED BART! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Shouted the voice again, which turned out to be Rocky's voice, clearly mocking the Grimm.

"_Aren't you overdoing it, Rocky." _Nigel mentally sighed but already knows Rocky is still doing what he's meant to do in his part which is working.

A few seconds of silence have passed. The Cyclops slowly turned around and spotted someone dozens of yards away… the same tail feathered insect that shot it many times when it was climbing up the gorge which made it growl in hostility.

Rocky was smugly grinning, casually twirling his revolver and lazily leaning up against a tree, like he's all relaxed and having a good time of his life. He points the barrel of his gun upwards, which had smoke billowing out of the barrel, and he blows it out with a casual blow.

"Heh. For a second there, I thought I was gonna resort to my stronger dust laced bullet to get your attention. You sure have left me waiting with your delayed reaction." Rocky sneered as he smugly grins at his one eyed adversary that dwarfs him. "But now that I've got your attention, I think it's time we get down to business."

But the Cyclops doesn't listen as it stomps forward with murderous intent in its eye, letting out yet another roar.

"Not much of a talker, eh?" Rocky raised an eyebrow as he stood up straight and prepared to get into the action against the behemoth. "Well, I wouldn't mind that, either way,..." Rocky's tone darkened and glared at the behemoth with a rather serious smirk "...'cause we faunus and humans don't really have anything in common with the likes of your kind; that's trying to eradicate us all in cold blood… which includes you, especially, have done for quite a long time"

Just as the Cyclops was about to swing its own club down to crush him… Rocky already pointed his revolver close to its feet while giving a rather serious, if devilish, grin on his face.

"**So we'll be returning the favor."**

BANG!

He shot an Ice Dust infused bullet that exploded upon hitting a certain spot in the ground which froze it into a large sheet of solid, slippery, ice; right where the Cyclops was about to step. The Grimm lost traction and slipped which caused it to lose footing and fall over on its side.

"Watch your step!" Rocky hollered as he already took off, in a headstart, towards the opposite direction. "Catch me if you can, Mono-Wimp!"

The one eyed Grimm quickly recovers and angrily roars again. Giving chase that every tree in its way topples over, not even bothering pushing them aside, it just steamrolls forward without slowing down. Rocky was keeping pace and didn't miss his stride, still keeping ahead but not going too fast to make the Cyclops keep up with him.

Nigel began to follow his partner and the Grimm, swinging and leaping through the trees that are safely out of the Cyclops' way and view.

Nearby, a random drone, one of the several dozen that's surveying the initiation, suddenly came by and heard the roar and first noticed Gale and Adam leaping through the trees….

* * *

**Beacon Cliffs.**

Back at the starting point, Ozpin and Glynda continue their surveillance, despite the recent event that there is a Cyclops in the woods.

Things were being tense because of a recent discovery that neither the headmaster nor the professor were excited about.

Glynda continued doing her part in surveying but still isn't feeling like herself. Ever since the discovery that one eyed monster that she believed to be dead... is still out there roaming about, likely killing more students it comes across. If it doesn't get taken care of, Gods forbid it even showing up where she's standing, the tension and stress get worse and she may even suffer another panic attack. Yet, even with the dread crawling up her back, she managed to remain calm and keep her head clear… for now.

As she kept her eyes on her scroll tablet, one of the footages shows eight students who already retrieved their own relics are now trying to escape a Nevermore which is flying high above them, followed by a Deathstalker that is chasing them.

On the other hand, the whereabouts of those other four boys being chased by the Cyclops are unknown after the last drone has gone static. They know they are still out there…. Whenever still alive or something worse.

Glynda's knowledge of what the Cyclops is capable of makes her anxiety justified but the headmaster encouraged her to have some faith in all the students that are fighting to survive and retrieve their relics. There hasn't been any reported deaths so that's a big plus… for now.

Even then, when she's doing her job... Why is she filled with regret?

Could it be….. she still carries the feeling she can't forgive herself for what she did out of ignorance that led to the death of her childhood friend, Dorothea? Or is she just overthinking it and shouldn't blame it on herself because it just happened and she had no control over it?

Whatever it is, the sense of guilt made her more anxious was all linked to the discovery that Cyclops had caused her the trauma and left her feeling the haunted nightmares she tried to forever forget have slowly been creeping up on her again.

"_Even if I do have faith for them, it doesn't guarantee it will be like some kind of miracle or divine intervention that will protect them and leave them unscathed." _Glynda thought. Regardless, even through the horrible guesses racing through her mind, she continued her gaze on her tablet. She and the other professors still have the permission to attack that unholy creature, if it gets anywhere closer to Beacon Academy. A professor is always prepared if unsuspecting and unwanted intruders wander from the forest towards the academy or city will be dealt with. No Grimm will come near civilization on their watch, even when there is no fear the cities radiate.

There was a beeping sound on her tablet which snapped her out of her deep thoughts. Status report shows another drone has detected something. For a second, Glynda had a feeling her gut was telling her there's a certain reason that relates to the recent Cyclops discovery.

She tapped the specific icon number of the drone which now shows another location of the forest. Glynda made sure the drone was out of the way and out of reach, not intending to lose another drone.

The footage shows the Cyclops rampaging through the woods. This time, she can see the scars on its armor and body. More gruesome and soul wrenching to look at than she can remember, far larger, meaner, and more heavily armored. It continues to evolve and adapt if it's left unchecked it could possibly even pose a threat to an experienced huntsman or huntress.

"_So, you're still alive and out there, all these years, even after when Dorothea sent you to the bottom of the gorge from where you came…and taking you with her."_ The blonde professor thought in a mix of fear and spite, the more she looked at the abomination she wished she would never see 's been so long that she barely even remembers most of the details it possesses. _"No doubt you have gotten far larger and more powerful than the last time I saw you face to face."_

The woman now feels hesitant if she could even fight it by herself and win, despite how much she has improved and grown more powerful than the time she was just a teen. But that doesn't make her a coward since she would absolutely fight the Cyclops if it came to that. Surely, she would even be glad to give that monster a piece of her mind and a special taste of her semblance for killing so many innocent students and especially Dorothea. Despite that, her duties must come first.

Regardless, she puts those thoughts aside as she must alert Ozpin of the status update.

"Professor Ozpin." Glynda spoke up and caught the headmaster's attention. "I must inform you that one of the drones has managed to locate the Cyclops again and it appears to be rampaging through the forest."

The headmaster took his eyes off of his tablet and looked at Glynda's. Seeing what Glynda presented caught his interest.

Hmm... I see." He casually replies and sips his mug, again, seemingly not at all surprised. "No doubt that's a Cyclops." Despite the suspicion and lack of visual evidence, Ozpin figured it was the same Grimm. His career of running an academy of training students to fight Grimm made it easy to identify it with a mere glance.

"I surely haven't seen a Grimm of that kind in quite a long time." He noted as the Cyclops roared and tore up more trees and debris. "I'm even surprised they are still around and living this close to Vale. Most people these days have considered them a complete myth." He continued nonchalantly at the Grimm being rather active and on the move. "And it seems to be pretty agitated."

Glynda wanted to roll her eyes but decided to look past that sly comment since they got bigger fish to fry. She then noticed something that the Cyclops was chasing which made her narrow her eyes.

"Yes. And I bet I would know a good reason as to why." Glynda answered as she zoomed in on someone that's being chased by the Cyclops…. Rocky Rhode Runner.

"Hmmmm…. Seems like someone you and I know may be the reason it's so riled up." Ozpin said that sounded like he's impressed. "I'd have to say. It takes a lot of guts and bravery to have a Grimm at that size and ferocity chasing you through the forest towards a trap you have made for it."

Feeling confused about what he meant by that, Glynda realized he may be implying about Rocky and the other three young men he's teamed up with could be doing something more collaborative. Thing is, she only sees Rocky, many possibilities going through her head where the other three may be at.

She looked again and noticed there was another lifeform that the drone just detected in the trees and moving through them swiftly. It was a kangaroo faunus who was leaping and swinging not far behind and was keeping up, not being noticed or spotted.

"It appears that our mischievous, feathered, friend has made a partner. Likely following him and giving support in case things get complicated for the former." Oz informed Glynda who isn't astonished that there is no panic or fear… this is coordination and teamwork, against a massive threat no other huntsman that she knows or has seen ever wanted to before.

"But that's not the only thing I find interesting. There's something else that you must see." Ozpin said as he showed Glynda his tablet; Yet again, Adam and Gale appeared together and were sprinting through the woods. Glynda realizes drone #7 that spotted them is half a mile away from the drone, #2, which is on the Cyclops.

Ozpin smirked, seeing such a seemingly kind of cooperation and tactics being used. "And these two are also playing their part in this as well."

The blonde professor wonders what he meant by that, until she started to put the pieces together on what he exactly meant until she figured it out and that only left her very astonished and impressed, as much as she can admit it with the look on her face.

"Are you implying to me they're taking a much more complex approach to this, especially this early for their ages?" Glynda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When you put it that way, indeed." Ozpin answered and raised an eyebrow back at her. "Those four seemed to have taken their time and patience to formulate a strategy to get around an obstacle they can't normally overcome alone with their own strength and abilities alone. A time consuming, yet complex approach in dealing with Grimm."

"While we all know strategy is a major factor and one of the most important arts of combat and war, we must never overestimate that as there are lots of risks that are worth taken for it to be a success. For forming such a plan means they know what kind of threat they are dealing with."

Much to what Ozpin said, it's true the boys are aware what kind of the threat the Cyclops possess and they are risking their lives to kill, despite that they don't have to since they got their relic... they are doing something that no one else has EVER done in any initiation of Beacon Academy.

"And what's even more impressive is that they could've just walked away and come back with the relic and get the initiation over with… but they decided to do what's right; an overlooked example of what it means being a huntsman". Ozpin noted, highly impressed how dedicated those four boys really are, the first he's ever seen. But they aren't the only ones as Ruby and her teammates are doing something similar as well.

"That is one thing that I deeply admire and respect about people is when they take action for a good and justified reason, rather than a simple task they are assigned for without question. It takes a strong mind and a simple soul, with the help of their crafts and skills, help them overcome almost anything that's thrown at them." Oz finished and smiled.

Glynda felt a tiny spark burning within the depths of her soul, the more she stared at the determination and confidence in their eyes against an overwhelming force of despair and terror, along with Ozpin's speech. This is the kind of expression that any full pledged huntsman shows off in the midst of soul wrenching Grimm and saving the innocent lives of people.

"Y-You're right." Glynda said as if she was ashamed for letting her paranoia and anxiety get the better of her. "I should've known and not be so pent up when I have a job to do."

"It's alright." Ozpin replied with nothing to suggest he's annoyed or serious. "It's not your fault to feel so anxious over a Grimm that you suffered from personal experiences since that day." Ozpin knew what Glynda was feeling the whole time and he knew what she suffered from so he did what he could to support and carry her through his academy until she graduated, and now he's grateful she is working for him in return as a part of his academy.

"And you aren't the only one who sometimes gets anxious… especially when things get awfully bad, especially if Remnant and all of the kingdoms are put in grave danger..." He sips his mug yet again, this time, enjoying the taste more.

"It's natural we all have a lot to learn in our lives and make many mistakes, whenever we don't want to repeat them many times…. especially with the weight of the world on our shoulders….. which we still so do day by day." He lets out a soft sigh and looks at all the students doing their best to stay alive and prove they came here for a reason and are giving it their 100% to prove their worth. "It's important we must never forget those lessons that helped us fight and struggle just to see another new day."

"_Especially for me... especially for me..." _Oz coldly thought to himself.

Glynda no doubt agrees with his words. Not like she's been lectured a lot by the headmaster before about all the important things she needed to learn and understand in order to work as a huntress and professor for the academy. She too, as have all the others before and after her, have learned and adapted through trial and error, thanks to the support of Oz, her teammates, and especially Dorothea's last words before she was gone.

As they always say, people make mistakes and must be taken for granite or they are doomed to repeat them.

The blonde woman slowly turns her gaze back at her tablet and continues to watch the Cyclops chase after Rocky, while Nigel stays close, along with Gale and Adam moving ahead in the next step of their plan.

"_So it has all come to this, hasn't it?" _Glynda thought, trying to process and comprehend seeing some students unlike any other she's seen before. They are fighting a kind of Grimm that overshadows many others in the Emerald Forest. _"For all my years working for this academy that I graduated from, for serving Ozpin and his cause, never would a nightmare that I believed to be long gone… would still be here, hiding in the shadows. Now it has crawled back out from the hellish pits to show itself again… continuing to slaughter anyone that gets in its way…."_

But she frowned and looked serious. _"And yet, there are those that will not back down from it, despite how overwhelmingly terrifying and unstoppable it is."_

She started to see… maybe there is something special in the many new students that are attending this year, especially these four young boys taking on the nightmare that killed her friend.

"_Even then, I'm still not sure what to say or think of all of this…. Do I still deserve to be a huntress when I couldn't even defend myself that Dorothea had to sacrifice her life…. and her dreams, in exchange for mine? So I finally obtained what I wanted to be… is it all really worth it?"_

There were times when Glynda had dreadful thoughts weighing her down and gripped her like a vice. It's nearly unbearable to her….. but she shook her head in retaliation.

"_No! I should never doubt myself. I've haven't forgotten her last words and I shall never go back on them either… that would only further let her down when her death has already been in vain."_

Even Ruby and the others she's fighting with haven't gone unnoticed either as she can see they are giving it their all too in this unforgiving forest.

"_If Ozpin can have faith in everyone, including those four destroying an enemy that I failed to destroy…. then I shall fully put my faith in them too. Perhaps they can avenge everyone it murdered. Once that unholy demon has been slain…. then all of them…"_

She mentally conjured a blurry image of her childhood friend… giving a warming smile and enthusiastically tapping her red footwear together which caused them to glow.

"_... can rest in peace."_

And that cleared Glynda's mind and her anxiety washed away. She came back to her senses that she was being herself again. Though, she still made a promise that she won't hesitate to face the Cyclops if it still gets near them and anywhere near Beacon.

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

Back at the Amphitheater, it was more or less the same with the current student's watching what they see on the screens. They already seen many students facing off against all kinds of Grimm, especially bigger and more dangerous ones, cheering them on in hopes of victory and joining them to learn and fight alongside them.

Yet again, team CFVY is really impressed with these newcomers that are actually able to perform such feats that only a second year could already do...well, Fox still can't see what's happening so his three other teammates share whatever they got in store for him if it's really important, but mostly it's Yatsu giving out the notes to Fox via Fox's semblance

Still, Yatsu doesn't say much, as he mostly likes to keep it to himself, he still feels impressed and admires the many newbies showing their skill and determination. He seems to especially admire the teenager with the Elephant Tattoo on his back... not to mention he's also very tall which Yatsu can relate to. Well, he's still shorter than Yatsu but far closer to his height than everyone else.

The same could be said for Coco. As the well being skilled and knowledgeable in fashion, she highly admires many of their outfits and attractive looks of the newcomers she finds interesting. Seeing them up close and personal may be giving her some ideas on new designs of outfits she wants to make and try out.

Velvet, on the other hand, while she is enjoying this excitement, she's a little concerned that everyone makes it out okay, especially with larger and older Grimm appearing and taking on the students in certain places which raises the stakes here. Of course, she can't help but feel really curious about all their weapons she wants to take pictures of with her own specialized camera she owns.

Sadly, much to the disappointment of the more battle crazed students that hunger for the action, things just started to look interesting as four certain students that appeared to have been chased by something massive but too blurry and up close to make details out of before going static. Due to being taken place in the Emerald Forest, most agree it's likely a Grimm. Question is... what type is it?

"I wonder what that was we barely even glimpsed at." Coco said rubbing her chin with her finger

"Maybe a Grimm?" Velvet deduced as she shrugged her shoulders. "Because I can't think of anything else that would appear in the Emerald Forest… unless I'm missing something."

"Considering this is the Emerald Forest we're talking about; Most likely." Yatsu softly replied.

"**Not to mention how that place has been left abandoned and untouched for centuries. It's a given that place would be the perfect hive to have some really big Grimm hiding out there." **Fox finished.

"Still." Velvet continued. "I can't help but feel this initiation we're watching seems different. Even our initiation that we had didn't feel as tense as what this one is holding."

"Yeah. I see that too." Coco agreed and just remembered another thing. "And let's not forget the Vytal Festival is also coming up and it's Vale that will be hosting the festival."

"Oh that's right! I almost forgot about that! I'm so excited we're gonna participate in the Vytal Festival really soon!" Velvet cheered, feeling excited to become part of the Vytal Festival for the first time.

Both Fox and Yatsu also smirked. Despite being mostly calm and focused, they surely enjoy the Vytal Festivals and they are highly eager to join the tournament for the first time and prove just how awesome and skilled they are.

"Well whatever is happening and we're gonna be doing, better strap yourselves in guys." Coco announced to her team. "Because this is gonna be one hell of an exciting year for us."

* * *

**Emerald Forest**

"That's right! Keep following me, you oversized tub of crude sludge!" The gun slinging faunus hollered. Constantly harassing the Cyclops and further infuriating it. It swung and smashed even more, leaving many large craters and cracks with every impact towards the ground. Even many trees caught in the crossfire weren't so lucky as they snapped and broke like toothpicks.

CRASH!

"Missed me again!"

BOOM!

"Close but no cigar!"

THWOMP!

"Ya can't even hit the broadside of a barn with a club at that size and weight!" The comedic bird faunus continued taunting the Grimm. "Either it may be that lack of depth perception being the reason you can't hit me or you're just that bad!"

The more Rocky mocked it, the angier the Cyclops got. It started swinging harder and faster than ever before, trying to hit him out of frustration that this insect just won't shut up. Nigel even barely managed to avoid a random swing that destroyed the tree he leaped off of moments ago.

"_Bloody Hell, Rocky! Are you trying to piss it off more than it already is?!" _Nigel thought in annoyance to his partner, right after that close call of nearly getting smacked.

He noticed the trees around them are getting a little narrow from each other and the forest is getting slightly less dense. They're going to a place where they want it to be that may hopefully give them the edge in their favor.

Nigel perched nearby in case things got complicated with the Cyclops.

After a few more minutes of the chasing, Rocky and his pursuer have reached a location in the forest that he instantly recognized which made him smirk. This spot in the middle of the forest, which has fewer trees, more open ground, and appears normal but what the Grimm doesn't know is that they have something in store for it.

And that's where Adam and Gale are waiting; each standing near a large tree, respectively, opposite from each other. Wrapped around both of the trees dozens of bungee vines that are tied and wrapped by hand which the two have done in part of their part and are prepared to trigger them at the right time.

Adam stood besides vine, posed in an iaijutsu stance, gripping firmly on the hilt of Wilt which was sheathed, as if he's about to do a fast quickdraw of his sword.

Standing near his own vine, Gale is holding the same katana that Adam picked up back at the Gorge, in a slightly less fancy pose, as he's only borrowing it for the time being.

"On my signal, we cut the vines." Adam instructed which Gale nodded, already remembering what they have to do in this part.

On cue, they heard the distant rumbling getting louder. A sign the Cyclops is heading their way. Soon, Rocky came rushing out of the foliage and he's moving so fast that his legs looked like a figure eight. In the clearing, he screeched to a halt and was rather standing in the middle of the area that he needed to be.

"Phew! Made it!" Rocky sighed and wiped the sweat off his brow. He noticed Gale and Adam were at their spots which made Rocky know what needs to be done next.

Not far away, Nigel also arrived in the area but stayed put in the trees. Nigel wasn't far away as he swung nearby and landed in another tree that was close to Adam.

"_And now we make way for the next step." _Nigel thought as he perched on another branch and waited.

The sounds of crashing and snapping, followed by many of the trees falling over, the Cyclops bursts out into the open and lets out another bellowing roar.

"_The target is now in sight." _Adam thought.

After announcing its presence, the Cyclops looks around, wondering where that puny morsel went. He couldn't have gone far since it was able to keep up with him and only lost sight of him once he entered the slightly more open area.

A high pitched whistle was heard which caught its attention and turned its head towards the source of it… standing there in the center is Rocky, yet again. Smiling and whistling a tune, he was doing some stretches to loosen himself up.

"Boy, I must say." Rocky chirped as he finished his stretches and crossed his arms at the towering monster before him. "For an oversized and hefty piece of work like yourself, you sure are quick on your feet to keep up with me." He grinned.

The single eyed Grimm growled as puffs of smoke billowed out of its nostrils and its eye glowed more brightly. It takes a step forward, still not done with Rocky for shooting it in the back of its head earlier.

"_That's right. Just come closer, we've got a big surprise waiting for you." _Rocky thought, anticipating the monster will fall right into their trap. It's going to be as easy as pie.

"_Once it gets within range, it will surely be easier to disarm and pin it down, leaving it vulnerable that gives us the chance to get the job done. If that fails, we got plan B as our backup plan, as Adam devised." _Nigel thought, as he stayed silent in his spot, watching how this may unfold. Adam and Gale held their respective blades even tighter, as small drops of sweat rolled down their foreheads and cheeks.

"_Wait for it…" _Adam thought tensely, his grip tightened even more.

"_Just a little bit closer…." _Gale mentally strained as the monster drew closer. Feeling a drop of sweat roll down his cheek. If they screw this up, they may be all for nothing.

Nigel stayed silent and watched with anticipation. His semblance can already sense the tension from his teammates, unsure what the outcome may be…even then, that won't stop them from getting the job done in any way they can.

As it seems it was going to work, the Cyclops suddenly stopped in its tracks which caught the four by surprise. It was only a few more steps from their zone of the trap… and now it's standing at its border.

"_What the- did it just stop dead in its tracks?! At a time like this?!" _Rocky thought in surprise and frustrated it's now out of reach of their trap. _"Is this some kind of joke?"_

"_Welp. Guess this is gonna be harder than we thought it would be… not like we didn't know that from the start." _Gale thought about how unpredictable this Grimm seems to be but kept his grip on his borrowed sword more tightly, having a feeling this would be far from being easy.

"_Crickey." _Nigel mentally sighed at the sight. _"Seems this bugger's smarter than we've given it credit for. It won't take the bait…. and it's starting to feel suspicious This doesn't look good."_

"_Considering this thing has lived for at least a century or two, it likely has developed a major sense of precaution from facing all kinds of huntsmen and huntresses it fought and slaughtered."_

Despite the feathered snack just standing there leaving himself wide open, like an easy snack, the Cyclops feels its instincts blaring that something seems fishy here.

Most huntsmen and huntresses that it has slayed and devoured either cowered or ran in fear, or died to the very last breath when they stood against it. Here, this little feathered nuisance stopped running from it and is suddenly trying to provoke it to attack him where he stands with no fear or hesitation. Something isn't right.

Feeling heavily suspicious, the one eyed Grimm stared at Rocky for a few more seconds until it drifted it's single eye on the terrain surrounding him, trying to find something out of the ordinary. It may be nowhere as smart as most humans, but, living for centuries has given it enough intelligence to make it aware of its surroundings far better than other Grimm.

Rocky felt worried due to the unexpected twist of events. This Grimm is smarter than it looks and it's only a matter of time until it may even see through their trap they planned out.

"_Gotta keep its attention on me!" _Rocky thought as he tried to egg it on some more to make it come over to him.

"Ah what's wrong~?" He said, ocking how it refuses to step towards him. "Afraid of coming over here and pounding me to a pulp? Or are you just brain dead now?"

The Cyclops heard that and so wanted to crush him to a pulp but it refused to step forward due to its suspicions.

"_Dammit. It's not falling for my insults anymore. Must have already gotten used to hearing them. Guess I should've toned them down when I had the chance." _Rocky disdainfully admitted to himself. He had to think what other way is there to make it come over to him without the need to leave his spot.

That's when he decided to pull out a secret weapon he was keeping in case things don't work… and he's gonna have such a kick out of this one so very very much.

"Still won't approach me, eh?" Rocky smirked as he suddenly turned around and quickly unbuckled his belt which caught everyone's attention.

"_Wait a second…." _Nigel thought as he started to realize what he's doing. What he's _about_ to do._ "Don't tell me…. he's not gonna do…. THAT?"_

"So it seems he will be doing _that _after all." Adam said with indifference in his tone, despite feeling a little appalled that it's going to happen. Even though much of his young life was filled with many hardships and struggles, with a strict and disciplined mindset, even he is left baffled by something this absurd. But he's going with it nonetheless if this is what gives them the advantage to win.

"Yep… he really means it. He's not joking." Gale responded, sounding more curious how this will go down. He ain't complaining as he's more open minded going along with Rocky's idea.

In Nigel's case, he's rather not so enthusiastic about it, despite going along with it, even by chance of surviving and winning this mission. _"Bloody moron." _The faunus mentally groaned that his partner was about to perform the stunt that he rather not happen begrudgingly goes with it.

The marsupial faunus has, by any means, no resentment towards his bird faunus partner. They already formed an established partnership just to mend themselves together as an effective and deeply understood teamwork combo in the future, especially with the other two guys that joined them that made four. Not to mention getting to know him better since that's what that teammates in huntsman academies should do. It's just that this very idea he's going to do which he brought up is still ridiculous.

Though, while he does admit the absurdity and how out of the blue it was to them, Adam told Nigel he decided and is willing to take that chance because, as long as it works in their favor, he doesn't see anything wrong with that. It's worth a shot.

For Gale. His reason why he approves of this… is that he thinks it's really amusing and to see if Rocky has the guts to actually do it…. and that made Rocky feel like that's a challenge and didn't back down from that.

"_As much as I find it ridiculous and out of the ordinary to be used for such a task I've agreed to go along with it, since everyone else is on board so the heck with it anyways. Besides, as long as it works and we live, I'll look past all that and call it a day." _Nigel thought and continued to watch…

"Well, in that case." The bird faunus gripped the hem of his pants and boxers, with his back turned, looking over his shoulder at the Cyclops with a sneering grin, even hoping his partner and teammates were watching too…. but has no idea the drone is that a single drone is also watching…. and its feed is connected to Glynda's tablet… which broadcasts to all the holo screens in Beacon Academy… where _everyone_ is seeing it all... in HD.

"If you ain't gonna come over here and get me like the chicken you are…. then why don't you just EAT MY SHORTS!" Rocky shouted as he bends over that he's looking upside down between his legs and looking straight at the Cyclops from an upside down perspective…. and yanked his arms straight down while gripping the hem of his pants...

* * *

**Beacon Academy**

Just a few minuttes ago, the drone that caught sight of the Grimm and faunus, also happens to be connected to one of the screens of Beacon… where many students are watching it.

That soon caught the attention of some students, including CFVY. Some gasped in shock or surprise. Others were actually astonished and awed, if intimidated, by this humanoid monstrosity that is unlike any other Grimm they've ever seen before. Yet, some of the students that were more knowledgeable with Grimm instantly recognized it as a Cyclops.

It was just straight up bizzare, even downright madness, to see someone this new stand out in the wide open spaces, under the towering gaze of a behemoth that could easily devour him like a bite sized snack. And what's more is that he doesn't look afraid and is just smiling and looking so defiant at the behemoth.

But that ain't fooling some of the students, including CFVY, as they can tell by no means he's an idiot and may be onto something that may actually be an advantage in his favor.

Even Fox, based on Yatsu's details he tells him, felt surprised and highly curious about this. Normally, he wasn't too much interested about this year's initiation but this sudden event has really got his attention now.

"Well… ain't that a coincidence." Coco deadpanned but is clearly piqued, and even a bit on edge, by the sight of this.

"Yeah. Never would I actually see something like this in my life. It's almost unbelievable to comprehend." Velvet agreed with her friend.

"And this new guy seems to be standing his ground against that Grimm." Yatsuhashi spoke. Pointed out the obvious of what they saw. "Not sure if I would call it having guts or asking for a death wish."

"**Now you guys are making me wish I wasn't blind after hearing what you're saying. It's already caught my undivided attention and now I really wish to see the scenario." **Fox said with his semblance directed at his three teammates, but rather teasingly since he didn't mind if he couldn't see as his semblance is more than enough to help him get around and be able to communicate more efficiently.

Either way, most students started bringing their focus on that particular footage which seems to be something they've never seen before. It appears Rocky is standing his ground and smirking at his adversary, but for some reason, the giant didn't move and appeared to be glaring at him.

This made many wonder what it really meant to them. Was he actually intimidating the monster by standing his ground? Is the Grimm just waiting for him to make a wrong move so it kills him in one swoop? Are they just challenging each other to a staring contest? Nobody exactly knows. It only further raises the mystery and makes them wonder what it all means.

Either way, it left many on edge seeing a short feathered faunus stand up against a towering giant that could easily crush anyone beneath its massive feet. And everyone's on their toes wondering what's gonna happen.

They can see his mouth is moving but they can't tell nor hear what he's exactly saying since the drone isn't close enough. They can see his expression reads confidence and a bit of cockiness to the mix which does seem a little concerning to some of the students.

That's when he turned around with his back against the Grimm which caught the attention and curiosity of what he's about to do. Perhaps it's him getting out his secret weapon. If some have thought of that, then they are right... except it wasn't the king of weapon they were expecting it to be.

The moment when Rocky unleashed his secret weapon…. it only took several seconds of processing to comprehend what was going on and reactions shortly followed. Some saw it coming but they were too slow and too late to warn everyone else because it happened so fast

Many let out loud, surprised, gasps of shock and surprise. Even some girls even let out high pitched shrieks of shock. Other students bursted out into laughter, especially most of the other boys that were rolling on the floor laughing and hollering. Some just stood there in complete silence and their faces were completely blank and emotionless.

"MY EYES!" One student screamed, repeating his madness mantra while his eyes were literally burning as if he was staring directly into the sun.

One of the female students, who looked really high class and fancy from a wealthy family, dramatically draped an arm over her forehead and fainted that one of her classmates caught her before she could hit the floor as she remained limp and out cold.

"Somebody get the brain bleach!" Another shouted as he had his hands over his eyes.

Not even team CFVY was safe from the disturbing scenery and they were too late to look away despite the possible signs this would happen.

Velvet looks like she saw a ghost, as her cute bunny ears started to slowly droop down and back to express the realization of what she's seeing and how disturbed she's feeling right now. Yatsu and Fox appear to have blank expressions on their faces. The former didn't appear to have a reaction while the latter was obviously blind so he didn't see what everyone else did despite the sounds of everyone's reactions. Coco slowly took off her shades and heavily huffs on the lenses with her breath before wiping them with a brown cloth that has her emblem on it. Her expression looked like she saw a lot of weird and disturbing stuff she wished she hadn't and would gladly forget all that.

"Now I've seen everything." Yatsuhashi calmly declared, not showing much of a reaction on his face… as if that was the last straw to even care. He now wants to go back to his dorm and call it a day.

"**Let me guess." **Fox announced as he can read the many appalled and disturbed thoughts of his teammates and everyone in the room, despite that he can't see what they are exactly looking at on screen.** "That bird faunus did something on screen that's considered widely disturbing?"**

"Yeah…. something like that." Velvet meekly answered, feeling a very small piece of her innocence disintegrated out of her being. "You don't really wanna know…."

"**Then I suppose I should be grateful I'm unable to see that..." **Fox replied, deciding he doesn't want to see it and a bit grateful he's unable to.

"Yatsu….. can you please make me completely forget what I just saw." Coco calmly asked her giant teammate before putting her shades back on, still heavily disturbed by the sight she really wants to forget that disturbing sight that's now drilled into her head. "It's really giving me mental scarring..."

While the chaos of reactions continues, there are others with other tasks in the academy that must be done.

Out in the hallways, Nevins was busy mopping and cleaning the floors, intending on making them so clean that you can clearly see your reflection off the surface. It's a duty for a custodian like him to have the floors of Beacon Academy to be as shiny as its legendary reputation, being run by one of the wisest and most successful headmasters in Remnant.

As he finally mopped the last patch of floor in this section of the academy, Nevins gets out his morning cup of steaming coffee that he got right before getting to work. He softly blew to cool it down and took a slow and small sip.

He managed to feel better after his first sip of the warm beverage that cleared his mind and washed his stress away, not long after dealing with that roadrunner faunus that slept in the same room that belongs only to him and then unintentionally kissed his boot when he tried to wake him up just made it rather awkward

Regardless of not so great of a way starting their day, the custodian isn't petty and has nothing personal against the young fanus. Besides, it was only between him and the boy so nobody else would ever know so it's nothing to fret about. Though, that doesn't make it out for him that he should count his chickens before they hatch when he has yet to see Rocky proving himself that he has what are the top qualities of being a student in this academy, completing the mission. For seeing how far Rocky has gone, Nevins is willing to give him a chance to convince him he's not some complete chatterbox that lacks the qualities of a huntsman.

Speaking of that, Nevins looked back up towards the screens, seeing any new progress. He noticed many of the new youngsters prove to be quite formidable and highly effective when working in teams. He shifts his sight towards another screen... and no surprise, there's Rocky yet again. This time, he isn't alone; as there stood a massive Cyclops that was right in front of him and staring him down.

"Hm… so you have discovered and encountered a Cyclops, eh? How unfortunate that must be for you." Nevins said, sounding like he almost pitied him going up against a Grimm that could tear you limb from limb and reduce you to a bloody smear. Yet, that once again makes him feel a little concerned about that for the students and staff's safety. He may be a quiet and elderly custodian that cleans the academy twenty-four seven until its squeaky clean but he's by no means a senile old fart that's blissfuly ignorant of what's happening, whenever inside or outside of the kingdoms borders and safe havens.

Lately, in recent years, there have been many new cases of larger and stronger Grimm that have been appearing closer and closer to civilization. Sure, it's not surprising the Grimm are constantly stalking outside the kingdoms and gnawing on their walls from time to time, but it seems unusual and even frightening that more cases of stronger, larger, and especially more aggressive kinds are becoming more common than they have been during the days when he was a young lad. That should be raising concerns but it's been proven many times the students from before and now have managed to survive and even defeat some rather large and dangerous Grimm with the ones that have passed heavily outnumbered the ones that died or couldn't pass due to their injuries… and that doesn't lessen Nevins' concerns.

He took his attention off the screen and took another sip of his coffee for only a few seconds until he lifted his eyes back onto the screen… than spat out an entire mouthful of his coffee that it sprayed and splattered all over the hallway floors he just finished mopping.

"WHAT IN THE BLOODY DICKENS?!" Nevins shouted in a momentary surprise of not expecting something he would ever see in the live feed for the academy. "What in the love of the Four Kingdoms and Menagerie are you doing?!" He screamed in disbelief and rising anger, completely baffled and highly offended seeing something like that as an absolute disgrace to see something so vulgar and inappropriate to be broadcasted.

"Presenting your posterior to the camera?! Tainting the pure and noble eyes of the academy?! Especially to the headmaster?! In the middle of the initiation, no less?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME AND DIGNITY?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. What he's seeing is the same thing everyone else saw… and he isn't taking it well….

"Why I 'oughta teach you bloke a lesson for such an unbelievable way of dishonoring this beloved academy!" The janitor shook his free fist, feeling heavily peeved at the spectacle that crazy kid was showing off with.

But then he remembered he was getting stressed out that may and quickly calmed himself to not crush his coffee cup in his hand. No longer being completely blinded by his anger, he began to notice something…. Rocky wasn't directing his taunting at Beacon… It was towards the Cyclops. He also noticed the surrounding spot the boy was standing in looked pretty suspicious….

That's when Nevins began to slow down his breathing so his stress levels don't worsen his health. In fact, he harshly coughed a little that it sounded very hoarse and dry. _"Easy there Nevins, you're way past your prime and of suffering a heart attack when I still got plenty of life to spare." _He thought as he actually began to think more rationally. Once he caught his breath and calmed down, he thought clearly and looked back at the screen and saw what he failed to see seconds ago.

"Ah, I see." Nevins says in realization, somehow seeing something that nobody else would've noticed on screen. "So you weren't intentionally flaunting yourself, out of disrespect and mockery. You were just being part of a well laid plan and leading that Grimm into a trap..."

Her narrowed his eyes. "Regardless of that clever division you and your teammates devised.. you still got an uphill battle to reach the goal… if you are able to reach it with every piece of yourself left intact."

Despite seeing the many initiations before this one, he admits never had he seen one this interesting in quite some time. In fact, he just remembered that there was one initiation with four special and unusual students that were made up of two boys and two girls. One had special attributes while the other two that got promoted for something special Ozpin made them to be….. and the fourth was just the normal one but made that up by being very determined and never giving up which Nevins highly respected those four, despite never knowing them personally.

He lowly hummed at Rocky with uncertanty.

"If you're really here to be a huntsman, then you better survive and prove it, lad." The custodian heeded his advice and continued to watch, deciding to mop the floors when this is over as it seems to get really interesting. A little surprising that he mostly tended to ignore most initiations in the past but decided to watch as this one got his full attention.

"Until this is over, I'll be watching and hoping for you to survive… and win."

As for Glynda and Ozpin…. they couldn't utter a word. Glynda's right eye was twitching and Ozpin starred with a blank look but just sipped his coffee, not even thinking of giving a witty comment on that one.

* * *

**Emerald Forest**

Everything has gone deafeningly silent as nobody moved or made a peep. All gazes focused on Rocky…who wagged his tail feathers from side to side and flexed his eyebrows, while giving a dastardly grin at the Cyclops. Surely, really enjoying his moment he wanted to do on a Grimm and he finally did it. Another thing to do crossed off his bucket list.

While Gale was surprised Rocky actually did it, he was neither shocked nor appalled by it for that matter. In fact... he thought it was actually pretty funny, as much as he didn't want to visibly show it by trying his very hardest not to burst out laughing.

Adam's reaction was rather indifferent towards it but even he was silent seeing the spectacle, despite agreeing with Rocky to do it if he had to…. and now he questions himself if it was ever a good idea to begin with.

Nigel's response? A facepalm and an apathetic sigh. _"Ya didn't need to go overboard with that, ya crazy loon…."_

As for the Cyclops… it didn't move an inch as it stared in silence… but its anger has slowly boiled to even greater heights that it started to shake and its hand tightened around its club. It growled even louder, as red veins glowed under its skin which gave it an even more menacing appearance. Large clouds of black smoke billowed out of its mouth and nostrils with each growing breath of hatred. It's one eye goes bloodshot and glowed even more brightly… while a strange humming sound was heard from it and boiling steam sizzled off the eyeball.

"_Well… at least that will surely make it come forward." _Gale thought nervously as he didn't need to guess what's going to happen next.

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAH!" **The Cyclops roared out again, absolutely livid at HIM for doing THAT. It quickly stomped forward, ignoring its own sense of precaution, desperately intending to crush the feathered nuisance beneath its club and scrape the remains off into the ground!

"_That's right. Take the bait." _Adam thought as they all watched the monster enter the zone and upon Rocky who didn't budge despite having a three story high monster towering right over him.

The Cyclops raised its club and prepared to crush the roadrunner faunus who was now standing there who's now holding his pants up since his belt is still undone. Despite not looking afraid, Rocky was sweating bullets as he saw the spiked weapon high above that even its shadow was looming over him. Even knowing how the plan must go, he can't help but feel dread seeing that weapon

"_Oh man…. I think I can see my life flashing before my eyes again!" _Rocky shuddered but didn't move, despite yanking his pants back up and tightening his belt, praying to his teammates to do it now or he's a goner. _"It's now or never guys or I'll just be nothing but a teen sized pancake! And I don't think it's gonna be my semblance this time!"_

"NOW!"

Just as the Cyclops was gonna unleash its wrath, it heard a shout from somewhere else which caught it by surprise that it momentarily halted its attack which gave Rocky the chance to cartwheel and backflip to safety.

After giving the signal, Adam and Gale slashed their respective vines in one swing. Gale simply slashed his vine while Adam, in the blink of an eye, drew Wilt from Blush and slashed his vine in iaijutsu fashion. He instantly sheathes it back into Blush, a split second after he swung.

The sounds of creaking and snapping were heard from above which caught the Grimm's attention….

**WHAM!**

Before it could try to even see or comprehend what was coming, it felt two powerful blunt forces slamming into both sides of its head. What happened was that its entire head was smashed between the ends of two, massive, swinging logs, like a pair of giant sledgehammers; the very traps that Gale and Adam just released and those are only the first sets.

While it wasn't enough to serve lethal damage, thanks to the Grimm's thick head and mask, it was still enough to momentarily stun and leave it vulnerable. On cue, Nigel takes his turn as he throws his bladerangs forward which cut several more bungee vines in the treetops. Setting off the next trap. Just as the Cyclops started to regain its senses, another log came swinging down with the heavily dense, broad, side of the entire trunk coming in at full speed…

**POW!**

… slamming into its heavily armored chest with such forceful impact that it rattled its armor, causing the Cyclops to feel the wind knocked out and stumbling out of balance.

Nigel throws his bladerangs again towards more vines, causing another trap to go off….

**BAM!**

Another massive log came from behind and, like the previous one, slammed the Cyclops right in the back that caused it to now stumble and trip forward, trying to not fall over..

"As we've suspected." Nigel deduced, recalling what Adam and Gale had said to him and Rocky, during what they had previously experienced. "The Cyclops has a poor sense of balance and slow recovery rate, once it is tipped over far enough."

And so, one of its weaknesses has been exploited that leaves the Grimm vulnerable for the next trap to be set.

And so, the Cyclops stumbled forward and tried to regain its balance but it suddenly felt itself falling forward when its foot sunk into the ground. It fell into yet another trap that was a hidden pit covered and hidden by the leaves and debris. It was deep enough for its foot to fall in and make it lose its balance even more…. and then it suddenly felt its legs pushed against something which turned out to be dozens of bungee vines tied together into one massive rope and it was tied to two trees tightly… which means….

"TIMBER!" Rocky hollered.

**CRASH!"**

Down goes the Cyclops as it crashed into the earth which shook the area like a small earthquake. It even lost its club that fell out of its hand once it hit the ground. Its club fell out of its hand which landed nearby.

"Do it!" Adam yelled, as he and Gale ran from their hiding spots and towards the Cyclops. Gale tossed his borrowed sword back to Adam who now dual wields again.

Upon hearing that command, Nigel throws his bladerangs one last time and cuts the rest of the vines that were above the downed Grimm. Four large boulders, wrapped in dozens of bungee vines, were strung together that formed a large net which enveloped the Cyclops and weighed it down from getting back up.

Beacon went silent as they've seen everything of the four boys taking action and trapping the Grimm beneath a net of vines. Never would they expect seeing the environment being used like that to their advantage.

"Well damn… never saw that coming." Coco said as she was highly impressed by such a complex maneuver to get the drop on a Grimm like that. Most students prefer using their weapons and sembelenaces when it comes to strategy, rarely ever using the environment and making some simple yet effective traps like that.

"Woah! Did you guys see that?" Velvet gleefully said in excitement.

"I sure did." Yatsu answered to his bunny faunus friend, feeling widely impressed, while describing to Fox that he too is liking what he's hearing.

"**Seems like these guys are doing things the old fashioned way…. I like that" **Fox noted as he admits that's rather clever and even pretty cool.

"Hmmm… not bad, lad." Nevins complimented the piece of action they just did. "That's a rather clever way of using your surroundings, against a Grimm like that no less. I like that."

Glynda and Ozpin were also watching as the blonde professor watched in silence with a surprised look on her face while Ozpon casually smiled and took a nice sip.

"And I thought James once told me that we continue to "advance" in our society that the "primitive" traps we once relied on for survival have become "outdated" and "obsolete", long before the discovery of dust that we now rely so much on nowadays…. but I have to disagree with him on that." Ozpin said in a serious tone. "It ain't wrong to fall back on using the simple, yet, effective, options to your surroundings that can still get the job done, at least when used in the right hands, especially if weapons and semblances are not enough."

Being pinned down, the Cyclops struggled and thrashed around, like a wild animal, trying to break freak. At its current position, the Cyclops is vulnerable and now's the time to take advantage of that. While Nigel jumped and descended from above the treelines, Adam, Gale, and Rocky surrounded it from the sides, all having their weapons drawn and aimed towards the head of the Cyclops…. where the eye is located. That's what their main target is.

"Go for the eye!" Adam shouted, as they surrounded the pinned Grimm. That's easier said than done when said target is a massive monstrosity that's thrashing and roaring like a berserker and won't stay still, especially that the net is barely keeping it in place that some of the weaker ropes are beginning to rip and snap by the constant straining of its massive movement and strength. "Destroy the eyelid if you have to!"

Trying to escape the trap, the Cyclops managed to stand back up on its feet and tried to break free as some of the vines stretched and began to tear. Gale and Nigel won't let that happen.

Gale fired a powerful blast of concentrated wind that striked one of its knees while Nigel leaps with all his might dropkicks against the other, causing the Cyclops to lose balance and fall onto its hands and knees but the arms ended up landing on a slippery sheet of ice that Rocky left there which cause the Grimm's hands to lose traction. Gale and Nigel then grabbed the vines tied to the boulders from the front and pulled as hard as they could with a harsh yank which forced the Cyclops to faceplant into the dirt.

Despite being pinned down, the Cyclops' head and arms were out of the net as it continued to struggle. Now it's swinging its arms around, smashing the ground and leaving craters, even snapping its jaws at anybody that gets to close.

"Crap! It managed to partly free itself!" Gale shouted as he was forced to let go of the vine to avoid a random arm swing. He opened fire with his gauntlets at the Cyclops, aiming for the eye, but the Cyclops closed its eye again which only left the air projectiles slamming into its face which briefly stunned it long enough for Adam to leap up and slashed the eyelid with both swords which left a rather painful looking X shaped cut but the eye was left undamaged. That rather stinging inflicted attack left the Cyclops letting out a loud roar of pain which left its mouth open for Rocky to fire a bullet laced with explosive Fire Dust.

Once the bullet entered its mouth….

**KABOOM!**

Never would the Cyclops ever expect to get the insides of its mouth damaged yet again. Clouds of smoke and fire spewed out of its mouth as it hacked and wheezed, along feeling the insides of its mouth and cheeks scorched, while having its tongue partly torn and burnt.

Nigel follows up by leaping up and throwing his bladerangs towards the eye that was open. The boomerangs bared their sharp edges and spun like saucers of death towards the eye…. Yet again, the Cyclops countered by raising its arm and deflected the projectiles. Nigel called them back with his magnet hidden gloves and caught them back into hand.

"I swear. This is starting to get really tedious and especially getting really annoying…." Nigel scoffed how the Cyclops is denying them the chance to hit the eye.

"Same." Gale agreed but remained determined. "But that won't stop us until we get it!" He shouts as he rockets forward with his gauntlet, catching the Cyclops off guard until he spun in midair and lets out a powerful heel kick with his heel slamming right into the spot of the mask where the nasal hole is. The impact echoed but the Grimm didn't budge and the mask didn't crack. It jerked its head forward to force Gale off which sent him hurtling and sliding across the forest floor until he slammed into a boulder which shattered to rubble.

Yet, that doesn't deter Gale as he flipped back onto his feet and he was glowing again, entering his partial transformation again.

"HRAA!" Gale screamed, completing the partial transformation that made nearly everyone look at him. Nigel and Rocky got a good look at the transformation for a split second and now knew how his power worked but didn't think any further and got back into the fight since Gale already explained to them about it.

Though, what Gale wasn't aware of was the drone from afar was seeing the whole thing which means everyone else in Beacon saw it too….. his unique ability that was never seen before.

The moment everyone saw the transformation and seeing him charge, looking a bit bigger and more muscular, while sporting a pair of elephant ears and even elephant tusks… reactions came about and they were spoken.

"Woah did you see that?!"

"I did! I just saw him sprout a pair of elephant ears! I think I saw some tusks too!"

"But what does that even mean?"

That's what caused the room to be filled with the mumbles of confusion and curiosity… with a few looking a little worried and uncertain.

Team CFVY was no different, especially Velvet, seeing some random person that was seemingly a human and he suddenly gains traits like that of an elephant faunus…. It just makes her and her team wonder what that's supposed to mean.

"**Now hold up… Is he supposed to be a human that can apparently turn into a faunus? Or is it the other way around…. Is there something we're missing here?" **Fox asked his teammates with his semblance.

"I don't know… maybe it's a kind of semblance we've never seen before." Coco said, trying to give her answer but she's not really sure if she's right. Despite the raised questions about Gale, they're gonna have to put those on hold since the fight continues and gotta wait for a conclusion.

Compared to the more vocal students seeing Gale's state, Nevins, Oz, and Glynda were silent. Ozpin and Glynda do recall they may have seen him in his partly transformed state when he was running from the Cyclops earlier but they can definitely confirm that seeing it up close now so that's no longer being left up in the air. Nevins only raised an eyebrow like there's something very peculiar about Gale and his unique ability that apparently is his semblance.

Gale sprinted forward at top speed that dirt was upturned and leaped at the Cyclops again, sending a powerful punch right in the same nasal spot and, this time, cracked and dented from the impact. This time, the Cyclops was pushed back but growled in pain and rising anger. It tried to swat at the nuisance but Gale used his gauntlets to blast him away to safety.

With a slashed eyelid, a broken nasal of the mask, and a scorched mouth, it seems this should weaken and slow down the Cyclops enough… except it didn't. It only pissed it off more that it roared again and started getting back up on its feet. It grabbed the vines that covered it and started tearing and snapping them apart, even biting some of them for good measure.

"Just how much more is it gonna take to even slow this guy down?!" Rocky complained.

Before the teens could even attempt to attack and counter, the Cyclops finally breaks free from the net and lets out a triumphant roar of freedom.

"Seems Plan A ain't gonna cut it." Adam mumbled as they watched the Cyclops standing at full height and glaring down at them. "Guess we may have to use Plan B."

Already knowing it dropped its club which was laying a bit away from it, the Cyclops decided to get at those four by picking up one of the boulders that were attached to the net. It reeled its arm back and threw the rock like it was a softball, despite only being a third of its size and weight. Adam and his teammates barely dodged it as it smashed through several trees which all collapsed.

The Cyclops grabbed another boulder and chucked it again, this time, at Rocky.

"Whoa!" Rocky gasped as he dropped to his knees and leaned back so far that he was doing a limbo to avoid the rock which smashed into another tree.

But it didn't stop there as the Cyclops grabbed the third boulder and did the same thing, as before, towards Gale. The large projectile hurled towards the tattooed boy but he got into a stance and amplified Gust with some Wind Dust and a jet booster. Once he punched forward, he managed to shatter the boulder which reduced to rubble but he didn't stop there as he created a powerful gust that gathered and blew the remaining pieces back at the Cyclops which forced it to block with its arms but most of the pieces smashed into its shoulders, midsection, legs, anywhere else its arms aren't protecting. It lowered its arms and growled at the four, still not going down.

As for the last boulder, the Grimm noticed the vines wrapped tightly around it. Something ticked in the Grimm's head as it picked up the vines that were attached to the boulder… and started holding it like it was a morning star….. making everyone realize what it's doing….

"You gotta be joking me…." Gale groaned, seeing how much harder it's gonna be now for them.

With its improvised weapon, the Cyclops violently swings it around and smashes towards those closest to it, like a berserker knight wielding a flailing morning star of death, smashing every tree to splinters, every smaller boulder to pebbles, and leaving big craters in every spot in the ground it hits. Thanks to the bungee vines stretchiness, the weapon extends out with each swing, giving the Grimm far more reach than its club could.

"Plan backfired! PLAN BACKFIRED!" Rocky panicked as he ran, rolled, and jumped all over the place, barely avoiding getting smashed and even tucked his head into his body like a turtle in its shell to avoid getting his head knocked off. "This is bad! Really really bad, guys! It turned the vines and rock into a freaking flail and it knows how to use it!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Adam grunted as he stopped running and got into another Iaijitsu stance with the borrowed sword strapped to his back and Wilt sheathed into Blush again. The Cyclops notices him and spins the boulder to gain enough momentum and swings it but Adam anticipated that. The moment it came towards him, Adam leaped to the side, and swung Wilt which cut the vine, disconnecting the boulder which sent it rolling through the woods and barreled through at least a dozen trees due to the momentum.

"Nice." Gale said as the Grimm is now disarmed again and the four go on the offense, with Gale and Rocky teaming up to launch a volley of all kinds of projectiles enhanced by Dust which bombard the Cyclops and force it to put up its arms yet again to cover its face and eye.

Nigel leaped up onto the Grimm's back and climbed up until he was top of its head but he didn't get unnoticed as the Cyclops felt something crawling on it which forced it to move one arm aside and tried to swat at Nigel like swatting a mosquito. Nigel already saw that coming and easily got out of the way by using one of its horns to help him swing to another part of its head. Once there, Nigel got out one of his balderangs and pressed a switch which caused the blades to become serrated… and spun like that of a chainsaw.

The Cyclops knew what Nigel was doing so it closed its eye, confident its thick eyelid will protect its weakness… but that's what Nigel is gonna be taking care of.

With a shout, Nigel plunged his blanderang into the eyelid which caused the Cyclops to let out a pained roar as the spinning blades of the serrated boomerang did its work, tearing through the flesh of the eyelid. It tried to swat Nigel but its arm got blasted by Gale's Wind Dust which denied its counter attack. Nigel dragged the entire blade down which split the entire eyelid in two, followed by grabbing onto the split eyelid and pressing his legs against the Grimm's cheekbones for leverage.

RIP!

With a mighty heave, with the aid of his legs, Nigel leaped off the Grimm and tore both the pieces of the eyelid off in the process which disintegrated seconds after. Thanks to that, Nigel leaped and flipped off of the Grimm and landed next to his teammates gracefully.

The moment the eyelid was ripped off, the Grimm lets out an extremely high pitched shriek of agony as it covered both of its hands over its eye and stumbled back that it tripped over its club and fell over in a loud thud.

"Ouch… that's gotta hurt." Rocky winced at the thought of getting his own eyelids ripped out like that. No pity for the Cyclops. Rocky stands close to the other three as they watch the giant quickly get back onto its feet, now lacking an eyelid which means it can no longer shield its eye other than its arms.

After shrugging off the pain, the Grimm turns and it bares its fangs with an angry gaze…, it has almost reached the breaking point that they just won't die and especially refusing to give up as they continue to defy it with sheer livelihood that they express in their eyes…. It just sickens it, more so than ever before. Of all the times it enjoys feasting on the fear and despair of many before them, they don't back down, even if it can sense bits of fear and anxiety in them… which is called being brave and determined to fight the darkness until you win.

During that moment, the eye started to glow again, even more brightly, along with that familiar humming sound was heard again, even louder and higher pitched. This got Adam and the others a bit concerned about what that means and they hope it isn't something what it may be. The Girmm lets out another angry roar as it swipes its club back in hand and then reaches out its free hand and uproots a large tree that's similar in size to its club out of the ground and is now upping its game with a tree that its using as a second club which surprised everyone just where this is going.

Seeing how the Cyclops improvised itself makes the obvious its not some big dumb monster but a rather smart and resourceful Grimm that shouldn't be taken lightly which further frustrates and intimidates the four boys of what they are dealing with, especially when they already know it could easily kill them if they aren't careful. Another thing to be concerned about is they are also clearly starting to show some signs of fatigue, despite still having a lot of aura to spare and enough to fuel their semblances. Despite that, they show no signs of backing down and still stand their ground.

Now armed with both the tree and its signature spiked club of earth and metal, it swung rapidly with ferocity which created even more craters and more trees snapped to oblivion. Yet, the boys kept dodging and spreading out to force it to focus on one at a time. Rocky managed to barely dodged the brunt of a swing… only to get a small and brittle branch smacking into his face and getting a mouthful of leaves that he spits out.

Everyone else that's watching the one monitor all stood in silence at just how awesome and intense things were getting, even when compared to Ruby and Jaune's battle with the Grimm they are dealing with right now.

"Woah….." Velvet could only say that ended the silence. "Who are these guys exactly, Coco? They seem to be doing really well handling that Grimm." She asked her friend who was also staring in silence but seemed to be grinning.

"I don't really know but they sure are kicking ass and looking good at it! Especially that one guy who tore that Grimm's eyelid off?! Hardore!" Coco responded with excitement. Even Yatsuhashi and Fox were also getting their blood pumped at this. Most of the students were cheering and hollering, definitely rooting for those four to win.

Nevins watched with his eyes more open and focused, looking a little more interested in what just happened. "Working together to distract the enemy and taking out one of its defenses to leave it's one weakness even more vulnerable." The custodian commented. "I must say. I'm widely impressed by you and your lads thinking outside the box approach."

For Ozpin and Glynda, the latter's expression was completely wide eyed and really astonished seeing these four boys are actually fighting and even pinning the Grimm down with some really effective teamwork, while the former just confidently smiled.

"As I thought, these four really know what they are doing." Oz enthusiastically said and confidently sips his mug yet again. it makes him feel so happy seeing students taking on and dominating the Grimm, especially the bigger and smarter ones. "Their teamwork is really impeccable, despite they only just formed recently. Almost as if they were already a formidable and organized team from the start." Though, he can't be so confident and sure of himself when the fight hasn't been decided yet so they continue to watch.

Back in the fight, the place got very destructive as the place was covered with many craters, fallen trees, and pieces of rubble reduced to smaller pieces of rubble. The four boys were at it with the Cyclops, as they attack and defend themselves while their giant adversary does the same, making it a seemingly endless fight with neither gaming the upper hand. However, the fight then started to shift as the four boys started to back off and started running again. This time, the Cyclops ain't getting them a headstart as it chased right behind them and continued swinging wildly which just felled yet even more trees in its path.

Every time it swings and misses, one of the four boys does a counter which is either Adam slashing with his swords and shooting with Blush, Nigel slashing and throwing his bladerangs with occasional Dust to the mix, Gale shooting more wind projectiles and occasionally getting close with a punch or kick, and Rocky shooting more Dust laced bullets while cartoonishly moving from tree to tree and hollering like a goofball.

However, what's concerning for Adam is that the borrowed sword he's wielding is starting to crack and wear down the more he's using it. So much neglect being left in the gorge for so long has left it rusty and it can't hold for much longer if this keeps up. Not like he didn't know that as he could tell from the start the Sword hasn't been used for so long but he's more than willing to use it to have this sword avenge its fallen owner and everyone else.

The drone that's still on them was able to keep up and continue seeing the whole thing until the conflict reached another open area; an open field where there were far less trees, many kinds of random stone monuments were scattered all over the place. Some were recognizable while others didn't and were reduced to ruin. In the center, there stood a massive stone tower that appeared to have been there for at least several hundred years as it was covered in moss, many pieces of stone were cracked, loose, or missing, but firmly stood tall.

And so, the four boys were seen hurdling out of the trees as they tumbled in midair but they rebalanced themselves and gracefully landed and skidded to a stop in the center of the field. Seconds after, the Cyclops bursted through trees and let out another roar that rumbled across the field. The drone caught up and hovered high above, keeping a safe distance and keeping out of sight as it watches everything unfold to all the viewers.

Even with all that effort in using the seemingly effective traps and managing to expose its weakness, it still wasn't enough to finish off the abomination and now they are gonna be doing this the old fashioned way; a simple, brutal, and straightforward fight, with advanced weapons, mystical, Dust, Semblances, and the skills to use all of them, against a massive Grimm that is at least a couple hundred years old with the smarts and ingenuity to back up its power and ferocity.

It has gotten silent as the two forces stare down at each other, trying to size each other up, despite one being far more colossal than four of the others combined. If looks could kill, then their glares could make even the hardest and most stubborn souls drop dead, especially coming from the Cyclops' one eyed, burning, gaze. It's not any different back at Beacon, as things have gotten quiet and tense as they know things are gonna get ugly. Even the rowdiest students were quiet as a mouse.

Nevins couldn't help but tighten his hand around his coffee cup, threatening to be crushed and burst the contents out, feeling the tension in the depths of his soul beginning to rise.

"By the Gods…." Nevins muttered under his breath, his coffee still in hand but it's now getting cold as he doesn't bother drinking. "Am I hallucinating or is the truth that's happening before me?"

"_So this is what the few among the new generation are truly capable of." _He thought.

Ozpin didn't say a word but Glynda was doing her best to keep herself together and not just go into the forest and deal with the Cyclops herself but she promised Ozpin so she stayed put. Ozpin knows this may go down as one of the most intense initiations he has ever seen and hosted…. he's seen far worse but this one surely deserves its own right being hyped.

"_And now this is where it begins to escalate." _Ozpin thought without saying a word..

Adam Taurus, Nigel Arvo, Gale Hathi, and Rocky Rhode Runner; All four stood in respective poses, holding their respective weapons, giving off their respective, unique, vibes that defies who and what they are, inside and outside of combat, against a two-three story high Cyclops that's very pissed they have managed to last this long against it and even managed to harm it.

The Cyclops seems to stay in place again as it stares at them with a wide open and hungry gaze, thinking about devouring them once it kills them. That is, after so much they've been a thorn in its side for this long, it actually feels like it wants to do more than just eat them; it wants to brutally rip them apart limb from limb and crush them to death… slowly and painfully.

"Alright. As much as our traps did only so much for us, It looks like we've managed to weaken it, even if a little." Adam noted, seeing the visible damage on the Grimm, even if it was minor, especially ripping the eyelid off. "But it seems it has more than enough fight in it to still be lethal if we're aren't careful. So stay on your toes and give it everything you got when it makes its move."

The other three nodded as they knew they were just getting started and they are gonna make every bit of it count if they are gonna win this. The Cyclops still stayed just as still as they did and waited for them to make one mistake and it will be coming for them again.

"Keep in mind we also have Plan B as our backup. We have to weaken it just enough and then we can use it." The masked faunus said as he tightened his grip on the swords and momentarily directed his eyes towards the tower. When they were gathering supplies and resources for their traps, they ended up stumbling across this place and decided to add that as their Plan B rather quickly since they found something useful that will help them.

"In layman terms; we fight and beat it up just enough until it's just right to serve Plan B that we have cooked up just in case. That sure sounds good to me." Rocky hummed as he quickly reloaded his revolvers.

"Sounds good to us." Both Gale and Nigel said simultaneously, as Gale inserted more Wind Dust and pumped his fists, and Nigel just inserted some Dust vials in his bladerangs and casually twirling them. They continue to hold their ground and glare at their enemy who didn't move either, with equal intensity and defiance against each other that the tension could be cut with a simple knife. A force born from the lands of nature and society, against a force that was born from the depths of the darkness that comes to kill all sentient life….. it feels really strange to them…. very strange and very mysterious, that you could say it was almost unnatural and defying the laws of order. How everything that could've been a normal day for them being on a simple task to become students have led them to where they are now standing, amongst the fighting and bonding that seems to be what they live for.

Those thoughts made them think back where they've been that led them here.

* * *

_**Two hours ago.**_

_The ground where they occupied as their "layout" for planning was covered in all kinds of texts, arrows, shapes, drawings, and even some math based equations that shows everything that is needed to fully prepare making their traps. There were also many random doodles that were lots of random shapes and even one that looked like a carnival with balloons, fireworks, clowns, carnival tents, and a ferris wheel…. seems Rocky was doing some doodles while he was helping their plan. _

"_Alright guys… this is what we'll do with our plan." Adam declared as he stabs the stick into the eye of the stick figure that is the Cyclops they plan to fight and defeat. "This is gonna be our best shot beating that Grimm, one way or another." He finished as he adjusted his mask. He's gonna be using Wilt a bit to cut down some of the trees so they can use them as part of their traps._

"_Sounds good to me." Gale agreed as he was loosening his shoulders and cracking his knuckles, feeling ready they got some work to do and he will be happy using his superhuman strength to build the traps. All that training, from his grandfather, carrying all kinds of heavy objects including trees, boulders, and weights, really paid off for him. "Time to put these muscles to good use…. outside kicking Grimm ass, that is."_

"_It may seem what we're doing may be suicide… which isn't far off as a fact based on the Grimm we're dealing with so to speak." Nigel pointed out as he tipped his hat and leaned against a tree, being chill. His task will be finding lots of bungee vines and tying them together for many uses._

"_Well, to be fair; a huntsman's gotta do what a huntsman's gotta do." Rocky said to Nigel as he finished doodling a stick figure that looks like a clown on a unicycle and juggling bowling pins that were on fire. The other three didn't mind but they can't help but admit that's a bit amusing to see all those silly drawings close to their plan… makes them feel more at ease despite how imperative things are right now. Anyways, he's gonna do some scouting for a bit while his buddies get the supplies then he'll help put it together and even let them know if he finds anything else useful in the forest._

"_Still. Whoever thought it would all come to this, despite what we already have what we need." Nigel pointed out while also adjusting his own hat. "Not that I'm saying it's a waste when doing the right thing. It just seems to be us, of all people."_

"_You got that right." Gale agreed. "As much as I like getting an A+ for our effort getting the relic, I think slaying a Cyclops will surely give us some extra credit."_

"_Grades or no grades, we're doing what is right and we're not gonna let all those that have died in the hands of that abomination be left in vain." Adam said to Gale who understood and didn't doubt what Adam said is a fact. _

"_Yep. I don't know how this will go, you guys, but I can assume this could go two ways." Rocky said to his teammates with concern. "Either we slay this Grimm, pass our test, become students, and continue our adventure in this little story we live in, for the next chapter …..or we just die and that'll be the end of us and our story we exist in. The End." _

_Already getting used to Rocky, they pretty much sum up as they either live to see another day or die and their fate will be like everyone else before them… and they are all hoping it's the former for them._

"_Then I have no intention of getting us killed and left to rot out here either. We're gonna fight and make it through." Adam started with a determined frown on his face, even behind his mask, they can tell his eyes are filled with the desire to get this through and they will do it with the will and strength of their commitment to finish this mission they make it out to be._

"_Oh that's one thing we all cannot doubt on." Nigel said with a smirk. "As much as I don't believe in luck or fate tied to destiny, I sure as hell never doubt in the will to never surrender and never giving up until we win."_

"_Sure sounds like we're getting into the spirit." Rocky said with confidence to his buddies. _

"_Hell yeah." Adam, Gale and Nigel agreed at once as all four boys fist bumped each other. Then everyone just awkwardly stood in silence as they all stared at each other… finally beginning to realize what they've all been through, what they are dealing with, and the potential risks they are gonna do that may get them killed._

"_You know. For what we've all been through since the start…. I feel like I want to have us gather together and discuss something before we get to work on our trap." Adam announced which made the four come closer together as the other three stared at their unofficial leader of the team._

"_Now before we get to work and build our traps, I just felt like it would be appropriate to at least share something to each other about how we feel about all of this." Adam said as they all listened. "Anything you guys want to say personally before we get started?"_

_This came out as a bit of surprise to the others, even Nigel. As much as Adam can be straightforward with things, there are times where he wants to hear things from other people so he can understand them far better, just like what he did with Gale during their seemingly last moments before Rocky and Nigel saved them…. and also how he bonded with Blake when he first met her after she learned more about him. _

_He thinks it's a good idea to at least tell their last personal how they feel for this team before they enter the fight that can only be decided by their decisions and quick thinking through it all. That's one of the things he learned from his master is the acts through bonding with your team._

"_You know… that actually ain't such a bad idea." Rocky says since having get togethers at times like this are really important, especially if you may or may not die against a threat that wants to kill you._

"_If that's the case, I'll obliged. But just to let you guys know, I ain't gonna share too much about myself since we're not fully established as an official team and it's gonna take some time to fully trust each other…. yet."_

"_That makes sense." Adam agreed. "Considering we all have our own lives, it's obvious some of us may have personal secrets we don't want to share…. not yet, at least." He thought, thinking about his own secret he has hidden all the time from everyone._

"_Guess I'll go first then." Gale said as he shared what he thought. "As much as I'm as confident as you guys at surviving this, if we do in fact die in the middle of this forest and never get back to Beacon... I just want to say you guys are really cool and I'm actually really happy knowing and fighting with you." _

_He went silent for a second until he continued. "Honesty, I've never hung out with people like you guys and it still surprises me. If we do survive this, I want to see the end of our mission to finish the academy, and become students, and take our teamwork to the next level… it's what Grandpa wanted the best for me before..." _

_Based on his tone about the mention of his grandpa and he's implying left them silent and felt sorry for him losing a family member, one implied that he must've been very close to. It makes them wonder… does he even have a family… or was his grandfather was all that was left until it's just him now? Rocky and Adam can relate to that, to an extent._

"_There's also one more thing I need to mention is my semblance." He said which caught their attention. "I usually don't use it around people often for personal reasons…. but can you trust me to not be afraid if I do use it?... it's a bit complicated if I do try to explain it would you not freak out if I have to use it as an emergency._

_They all nodded in agreement, surprisingly in an instant no less. They got to know Gale a little better during their discussion so they take his word for it.._

"_Lastly…..I just want to tell you guys… I've been having fun fighting with all of you." Gale smiled. "I really want this team to last a long time if we win this."_

"_Well, then let's make that happen, partner." Adam smiled back which made Gale smile a bit more. "_

"_Guess it's my turn now." Rocky said as he cleared his throat and pulled something out of his pocket which turns out to be the torn remains of his will and testament. He instantly gets out scotch tape and some glue, as he cartoonishly puts it all back together. Everyone raised their eyebrows but Nigel instantly knew what Rocky was doing as he recognized that piece of paper he previously destroyed and now repaired it.._

"_Alright. I don't have much to say but I do personally want all of you guys to know this is my will and testament." He announced to his teammates. _

"_Since we're up against a threat that we may or may not survive against, I wanted to think ahead and let you know I have written it all down… as much as I highly hope we can get through this, just in case…. Nigel." He turned his attention to his partner who didn't make a reaction. "If I ever die but you all live…. I want you, of all people, to read my testament and maybe even make them become a reality." He asked casually like everything was normal. "Will you all do that for me?"_

_Nigel stood there and stared at his partner with an expression that reads "are we really doing this?" but decided to just go with it because why not._

"_Sure… I'll read it…..IF you drop dead first and I'm still breathing." The tattooed faunus answered with a smirk on his face._

"_...Fair enough." Rocky admitted to the logic of his promise._

"_But what if we all die and none of us, let alone Nigel, get to read it?" Gale asked a rather good question. _

_Rocky pulled out the same container that he stored the paper last time and placed his will/testament in it. "I have a back up plan, in case that happens." He explained as he rolled up the paper and put it in the container like putting a treasure map in a whisky bottle. "If we all do meet our demise, someone else who finds this off of my corpse or anything that remains of me, will read and fulfill the needs of what it says... hopefully" _

_After putting the bottle away, Rocky looked back at everyone. "I'm done now. That's two out of four."_

"_Guess it's my turn to share before we get down to business." Nigel said as if it's no big deal but the serious look in his eyes tells them it's gonna be. "Like you guys having your reasons being here. I too, surely, have my own but it's rather personal one for me and me alone."_

_The three that are hearing this can tell in his tone that he's not making a joke out of it and he's taking it rather personally indeed. "I've traveled and fought far and wide, mostly by myself, rarely getting help from anyone since the places I've been too were mostly out for themselves." He said sternly which everyone was listening with interest and shock where he is going with this. "_

"_My mission and long term goals have pushed me forward that they eventually led me here; an academy I shall attend for four years with you three as my teammates, until we finally graduate."_

"_Once I become an officially skilled huntsman, it will give me many opportunities and benefits I'll gladly have to earn a lot more than I ever could before."_

"_So you're doing what's right and helping people?" Gale said, guessing that is Nigel's reason._

"_Well, that's actually the secondary part for what I'm really doing, but yes." Nigel corrected but Gale wasn't completely wrong either. "When the times really call for it, I will do what is right and I'm more than happy to help the people, as huntsmen and huntresses, when they need us most. My big and primary reason for being a huntsman is for the money. That's all I'm gonna say about that."_

"_Wow…. that's a specific reason behind your motivation." Rocky said out loud. "Not that I'm not impressed or anything but it's good to hear you have a reason but also willing to do the right thing as well… so that's great."_

_Yeah. It's actually pretty cool. Perhaps you got good reasons using the money." Gale said happily._

"_Money or not, we're happy to have you on our side and as an honorable member." Adam finished warmly to Nigel._

"_Heh. Thanks mates." Nigel thanked with a smirk on his face. "It's a pleasure fighting and kicking Grimm ass alongside you guys so that's a bonus for all of us. I'm sticking with you all until the end."_

"_So what about you, Adam?" Gale asked his partner. "Anything you wanna share before we get going?"_

_Adam didn't say a word and stood in silence, making it a bit tricky for Rocky and Gale to figure out what he's thinking or even expressing due to his mask hiding his eyes. They do wonder why he wears that rather decorative looking mask but they know better than to ask since that likely wouldn't be polite since he's been wearing it the whole time. Nigel has an easier time reading his emotions, he can't figure out even the smallest hints what he might be thinking about since he's so calm and collected at that. _

_That's what annoys Nigel that he has one flaw with his semblance which is he has trouble reading people, when they are very very calm and collected, being able to control their emotions. Still, he was able to sense small bits of hesitation, for a split second, which could mean he's trying to think, implying he has some things he doesn't want to share about either himself or something else._

"_As leader of this team, I shall do the honors. Though, I do find it a bit ironic that I'm going last." Adam dryly chuckled but sighed. "For most of my young life, I've tried and done a lot of things for the better of the faunus and for humanity too… and I've made a lot of mistakes that I'm still trying to fix….."_

_That made Gale and Rocky raise an eyebrow of what he meant by that. Nigel then sensed the feeling of regret and bits of sadness in his emotions but he also sensed righteousness and justice. _

"_That's why me and another close friend of mine have come here to make the corrections for the wrong we have done."_

_For a second, the moment he mentioned that, both Gale and Rocky thought of that golden eyed, black haired, girl with the black bow whom they saw he hanged out with last night, reading books together like a pair of bookworms. Nigel too had a hint but it took him a bit longer to figure out since he barely saw her for once._

"_Hold on." Rocky interrupted. "Are you referring to that girl with the black bow? The one that you were reading with? She's also with you on this?" He asked in curiosity, remembering him seeing Adam sitting next to that girl and reading with her._

"_Yes." Adam confirmed that sounds like he's not making a big deal out of it. "What me and Gale talked about, before you and Nigel rescued us, that's her and that's all I'm gonna say"_

"_Oooooh." Rocky nodded, sounding like he realized and understood… while giving out a smug grin. "I see. Seems like you two lovebirds were just having some good reading time together before we begin the test~" The bird faunus said coily while rubbing a hif finger across his chin and raising his eyebrow._

_Unlike last time, though, when he blushed a bit about the mention of Blake since Gale genuinely teased him about it, Adam was clearly not amused one bit by Rocky's smug way of teasing him. In fact, despite the mask hiding his eyes, Rocky could somewhat tell Adam is not only unamused… but he's glaring at him too._

_And yet, Nigel sensed a slight amount of embarrassment Adam was hiding. As much as the bull faunus won't visibly admit it, it's true he does enjoy hanging out with Blake… but calling him and Blake "Lovebirds" is definitely not true. Though Nigel had a sense of suspicion about the details of the girl for a different reason…._

"_Heh… heh… heh… shutting up now." Rocky meekly said, clearly sounded intimidated._

"_As I was saying." Adam continued without missing a beat. "We have come here for a reason and we're doing what we can for a better Remnant." He finished. "And that's the end of our discussion sharing what we wanted to share."_

"_Since we're now done with sharing what we all feel, we all know what we have to do now." The masked faunus said as he extended his arm out with his palm facing down._

"_So who's ready to slay a Cyclops, team?" He asked with a smirk. "It's do or die!"_

_The other three smirked in response, Rocky's being a tad goofy than he intended it to be. They extended their arms and stacked their hands on top of each other._

"_Let's do this!" They all shouted as they raised their hands in the air. And so they began the next step by gathering and building._

* * *

**Present**

Still in their stances, they know they now have to fight the Cyclops with every piece of fiber flowing through their bodies.

Everyone that was watching this eventually unfold, were holding their breaths and standing stiff, waiting to see what will happen when one side or other moves an inch that will set off the ground quaking wake of their final battle.

But what nobody could see, except those that have the ability to see aura… that their auras were flaring like a roaring inferno….. than manifesting and taking shape… into the respective animals they represent.

Adam's was a blue bull that snorted and scraped the ground with its hoof, Nigel's was a violet kangaroo that was in a boxer's stance and jabbing it's forelimbs forward, Gale's was an orange elephant that curled its trunk, flapping its ears, and lets out a trumpeting bellow, and Rocky's was a green roadrunner but had a bit of an eagle theme to the mix, giving a silent but deadly glare. All of their eyes were glowing brightly of their respective colors.

Whenever or not it was an illusion, the Cyclops doesn't back down as it steps forward and lets out a very loud roar that shook the ground and was heard miles upon miles around.

"Here it comes…" Adam calmly said to his friends as the fight is now imminent. The giant Grimm moves again and begins to slowly pick up speed and sprints towards them like a runaway train.

With essentially everyone watching and all stakes at an all time high, only one thought they all had, especially Ozpin.

Let them fight.

The giant Grimm raised both its club and tree high in the air and brought them down like two sledgehammers. The four reacted in accordance, as they all leaped in different directions to avoid the direct impact. This time, they knew what the Cyclops was capable of so they managed to leap further back.

**KABOOOOOM!**

With the combined force behind stone and wood the Cyclops wields, it created an even bigger shockwave and a deeper crater than the last one back in the gorge. More stone and dirt was overturned and flung into the air while a massive dust cloud enveloped the area. This time, they all braced the shockwave, even Adam drawing Wilt and the other sword, absorbing some of the kinetic energy made by the shockwave to fuel his semblance. The Cyclops doesn't let up as it dragged its stone club across the ground and swung it upwards which upturned more dirt and stone which sent flying at Gale and Rocky.

"INCOMING!" Rocky shouts as he cartwheels and backflips to avoid some of the debris. He then started contorting and stretching to absurd levels to avoid more that he even suddenly placed his hands under his thighs and "hoisted" himself up that his legs stretched and elongated to the point the debris whizzed through the gap where he was standing. Gale was forced to punch and blast Wind Dust at a few to pieces and then had to block his arms and endure taking the rest. Since he's much tougher in his partial transformed state, he hardly lost much aura.

That left it open for Nigel and Adam to leap from behind the Cyclops and attack by rapidly landing many strikes with their bladerangs and swords respectively, respectively, at rapid speed. Compared to the front of itself, the back of the Grimm had far less armor so Nigel and Adam went all out slashing and cutting the back, cutting the thick skin and causing more cuts and lacerations to appear but not enough to cause major damage. The Cyclops instantly felt that and countered by instantly turning around with it's tree club stretched out, intending to swat at them.

Still in midair, the two anticipated that and were ready, Adam's hair and blue markings glowed a bit while Nigel's activated his semblance and his eyes glowed a little as well. Just as the giant tree was about to hit them with the force of a wrecking ball, the two faunus suddenly spun like two twisters at such blinding speeds they were nothing but blurs of whirling blades as they made contact with the tree.

_**SHING SHING SHING SHING SHING!**_

At that split second that all happened, Adam and Nigel seemed unharmed as the tree went past them. It went silent for a few seconds, as they remained motionless in midair as it time stopped. Then gravity took hold and the two were forced back to the ground.

As they gracefully landed back to the ground, at that moment they did, the entire tree's leaves all came off like it was shaved. A second after, the entire tree itself, down to the core, was spliced and diced to splinters. All was left was a mere stump that the Grimm had left in its hand. Momentarily dumbfounded, the Grimm angrily threw the stump at Adam who casually swiped Wilt vertically upwards and chopped it in half like cutting a knife through butter. The two remains crashed into a boulder and a random ruined statue respectively which crumbled to rubble.

"Is that the best you got?" Adam mocked the Grimm with a raised eyebrow under his mask. He usually doesn't bother mocking his enemies, let alone Grimm, but since this is personal with the Cyclops and the atrocities it has committed, he will make this an exception.

Whenever it was a reaction to the remark or just wanting to crush him, the Grimm roars and sends its fist downwards like a hammer but an Electric Dust laced bullet shot into the Grimm's arm which caused a violent surge of electricity which caused it to miss Adam and hit the ground several feet away from him. The Dust did no damage, like before, but it was enough to partially paralyze it and lose control of its trajectory.

"Remember me?!" Rocky shouts as he now starts running in circles around the Grimm, constantly shooting all kinds of combinations of Dust laced bullets, while maintaining a fast speed that his legs are moving so fast that they look like a figure eight. Thanks to his small size and crazy speed, the Grimm could barely keep track where he's going and couldn't even come close to smacking him like a little gnat that he is to it. It kept missing that it only further agitated it, as it kept getting pelted with more and more Dust bullets that one even almost hit it right in its exposed eye which Rocky was mostly aiming for. Left vulnerable, Nigel suddenly sprinted at the Grimm and leaped up onto its back yet again. The Cyclops stopped attacking as it felt something that's really familiar latching onto it's back….

Nigel quickly climbs up the back and positions himself onto the face of the Cyclops and pulls out a familiar bladerang with a chainsaw feature to it and raises it above his head…. aiming at the eye. Not falling for the same trick twice, the Cyclops suddenly whipped its head forwards which caused Nigel to lose balance and fall off the Grimm's face. Being left open, the one eyed monster grabbed Nigel in it's free hand with only his head and shoulders visible…. and began to squeeze….. hard.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Nigel screamed in agony as he felt himself getting crushed by the pressure of the Grimm's grip strength and his aura started to flicker and flash many times, struggling to keep him from being crushed like a tin can. Anyone that was watching this, some cringed out of reflex seeing how painful that looked while others covered their mouths with their hands out of shock and worry for Nigel's life at stake. Even the adults could feel Nigel's pain, feeling worried all of his insides are gonna get completely crushed and mushed.

"Nigel!" The other three boys yelled in shock and worry for their teammate being in danger.

"Get your beefy and stinky hand off of my partner!" Rocky screeches as he fires even more dust laced bullets that some resulted in large explosions of varied elements which caused the Cyclops to growl and face in Rocky's direction, using its club to block the bullets and to protect its eye. Gale joined in by shooting more wind projectiles from the rear which slammed into its back. Lastly, Adam started slashing its legs, even going for the heels and achilles tendons.

The attacks that came in all directions caused the Cyclops to slightly loosen its grip on Nigel who took the opportunity to push back so that he made enough room to reposition himself to push with his back and legs to force the hand open just enough to crawl out of the Cyclops hand and got some payback by doing a wicked move by using his tail to spring upward and sent out both of his legs which kicked the Cyclops right in the chin and sent its head snapping upwards from the blow.

"Blamo!" Rocky shouts seeing how powerful that looked.

With that moment of vulnerability, Gale sprinted and leaped upwards like a human rocket and went even faster, activating the jet turbines on Tempest and Gust. He landed several dozens of punches and kicks across the face and then ended the combo with a massive, jet enhanced, punch right in the cheek that a tooth broke off and fell out of its mouth. As it looked like Gale did serious damage, the eye suddenly darted its direction towards him so that he could see its burning pupil staring into his soul. Gale felt a tinge of dread creeping up his spine as the Cyclops suddenly swiveled its head and delivered a nasty oversized headbutt that sent Gale hurtling into the ground which kicked up dust but the Grimm didn't stop there as it kicked him like a softball which sent him tumbling across the ground until he slammed into a ruined pillar which cracked and crumbled from him slamming into it.

"Gale!" Adam shouts in worry that he runs towards Gale but orangette manages to get back up, seemingly looking fine. Though, his aura momentarily flickered in response.

"Gale, are you alright?" Adam said to his partner, wondering if he's hurt but Gale seemed fine.

"I'm good. I've been through a lot more." Gale said as he cracked his neck and glared at the Cyclops.

"This isn't doing us any favors, despite our efforts… guess it's time we should use Plan B now." Adam said how obvious things are going now.

"Oh I'm with you on that." Gale agreed as he eyed the top of that stone tower. "Time to introduce our secret surprise we have instore for it." He runs towards it with Adam in tow. Nigel and Rocky noticed in the corner of their eyes

"_Seems we're gonna be using Plan B now." _Nigel thought. _"Good. We barely did anything to this guy but it should be enough to leave it still to get a good shot."_

"_Oh boy oh boy!" _Rocky thought in excitement. _"This is gonna be so rad!"_

The marsupial and bird faunus then had to do their best to keep the Grimm's attention on them as they doubled their effort of attacking the Cyclops which kept its attention on them. Rocky shot more Fire Bullets while Nigel threw his bladerangs with Electric dust which shoots out lightning bolts as they pass the Cyclops and return to Nigel's hand. Rinse and repeat.

Adam and Gale entered through the gaping doorway of the tower and quickly climbed up the spiral staircase until they reached a worn down wooden ladder that leads to the top through a trapdoor. Once they reached the top, it's nothing but littered with all kinds of worn down and useless equipment that was used in ancient times and even a few random rusted weapons were among them. The one thing that stood out the most and was perfectly well placed against the stone tiles that they kept was a long and thick iron spike that was longer than they are tall, with barbs laced across the sharp end of it.

Gale easily picked it up in both of his hands, despite its weight. It felt very strong and sturdy to hold, despite being all rusty and worn down by the ages of time that didn't do it any favors. It's still in good enough shape to be used as a weapon that can fatally stab anything in the right place and this is what Plan B really is going to be.

No words were needed to be said as they knew how this would go down. Adam loads an unusual looking Dust bullet cartridge that was reddish-orange and had a symbol that looks something like a lens flare. He inserts it into Blush and points it to the sky and shoots which sends a bright little light that rockets high in the air. Seconds later, it explodes which brightens even further like a flare for a several seconds until it goes dim. Nigel and Rocky saw and got the signal. The two changed strategies by backing away from the Grimm but continued to harass it with bullets and Dust from their weapons which made it come to them and towards the tower.

Soon, the Cyclops was near the tower that Nigel and Rocky were even almost backed up against it but they weren't worried as they now have it where they want it to be.

Both Gale and Adam looked at each other and nodded, knowing what they gotta do, but not before giving each other one last fistbump for the day, if they do survive this. Without saying a word, Adam let gravity take a hold of him as he tipped forward and fell but planted his feet on the walls of the tower and ran down it. Gale stays behind for the moment but he's more than ready to jump when it's just right.

As Adam sprinted down the tower faster than gravity could take him, he drew both swords and leapt down the tower at a sharp, downward, angle towards the Grimm with his two swords pointing forward, ready to strike. But the Cyclops somehow noticed him coming and raised its hand and ended up getting its palm impaled by both of the swords but Gale used the momentum to swing upwards and land on top the Grimm's skull like head. He then stabbed the borrowed sword through the top that it impaled through the hard armor. It didn't pierce far enough to kill it but it did go deep enough that Adam can use his swords to anchor himself in place.

The Cyclops roared yet again and tried to shake him off and even tried to squish him with its free hand but Adam tapped into his semblance, even more so than before, and swung Wilt out and actually managed to leave a nasty cut and also forced its hand back which made the Grimm roar in pain.

"Hold it in place!" Adam yelled.

On cue, Rocky stood to the Cyclop's left side Nigel at its right. Both held their respective weapons which glowed bright blue… preparing a powerful move. Going full charge and using all the Ice Dust he inserted in all the slots of his revolvers at once, Rocky shoots two large beams of ice which converge into one and hits the Grimm's left leg. With his weapons glowing blue brightly, Nigel throws his bladerangs which explode a massive amount of ice across the entire right leg of the Cyclops upon impact.

The Cyclops was momentarily confused as it noticed both of its legs were frozen in place but then it suddenly felt something wrapped around its wrists because Nigel and Rocky are now using bungee vines that they are using to hold its arms down as they tug and pull with all their might. Nigel seems to be doing better while Rocky was barely doing his best to keep the arm down. The Cyclops tried to resist but Adam stabbed Wilt into its skull. Holding on tight to both of the swords, he then yanks back forcefully which forces the Cyclops to bend its neck back so that it's facing up towards the sky where the sun was just at its peak.

All of this was done in mere seconds, denying the Grimm any chance to counter or do anything

"DO IT, GALE!" All three shouted at once.

In response, with a scream of a mighty warrior, Gale Hathi takes a mighty leap and dives down with the spike in hand and has the pointed end. The Grimm noticed that and its pupil shrunk to a near pinpoint to show what it realizes that it's seeing something that's gonna make it no longer be able to see.

Out of desperation, it tried to resist but the efforts of Adam, Nigel, and Rocky holding it down, with its legs frozen, wasn't enough to make it escape in time. Despite its resistance and effort, the Cyclops could do nothing as it watched Gale come down with that spike….

SHRRK!

… which impaled straight into its one eye…. going really deep no less….

Everything went deafly silent.

Gale and Adam leapt off the Cyclops while Nigel and Rocky let go of the vines, as all four retreated and regrouped at a safe distance, hoping that did the trick and killed the Grimm. The Cyclops stood as motionless as a statue, not even uttering a sound from its gaping maw. Not even a twitch. Its fingers loosened enough for its club to fall out of its hand and crashed into the ground with a loud thud.

Everyone that witnessed it all were awestruck and left in utter silence how insane a fight like this was between the four souls and wretched demon. Velvet and Coco were wide eyed and struck with complete shock and awe that Coco even lowered her shades to get a better look at the spectacle. Even Fox was dead silent, nothing to even remark about, when the stoic and calm Yatsu briefly told him what happened, who is barely trying to comprehend what he's seeing.

Nevins couldn't fathom to say a word just how groundbreaking perfect their teamwork was. Glynda couldn't say a word, as she was watching the whole thing completely focused that she doesn't even bother wanting to talk to Ozpin or even answer any question he gives out if he wanted to know. She's just too focused at wanting to see the outcome… seeing the monster that forever took someone from her slaughtered and slain… by those four boys that are, in her eyes and belief, the physical manifestation of her retribution and vengeance for Dorothea…. and it looks like it came true that she was holding back tears of joy.

As for Ozpin… in all of his years of seeing the vast potential in many young students striving to be the very best and honorable huntsmen for humanity and the faunus, never has he seen these four be so cooperative and effective with their teamwork putting their well laid out plans to such good use. If they do survive this… he really wants to have a word with them.

Adam and his teammates kept their distance and watched the Cyclops stand there motionless. They don't if it's dead or on the verge of dying already, since they know a Grimm is definitely dead when it disintegrates.

Even after half a minute… it's not disintegrating which begins to be a concern. Despite the sheer agonizing sting of having a human sized iron spike in its eye, it didn't move a muscle and was in some kind of petrified state… because it was trying to process what just happened to itself and why is it still here if it should be dead…. something stirs in its dark and primal mindset. For a very long time... It remembered something…. the day it came into this world from the pits of the darkness that have birthed it.

* * *

_**Centuries ago.**_

_There was nothing but darkness and silence. An endless sea of vileness that descends endlessly with no end. Something stirs within the black malice and gains consciousness, becoming aware. At first, despite wondering what's going on and where it is, it felt the urge and instincts to surface which it did._

_Above the oozing black sludge, an arm emerged from the surface and gripped onto solid ground. The ooze dripped off which revealed dark skin and white bone armor with red marking. Eventually, attached to the arm is a massive body of muscle and bone, as it hauls itself onto land, while the black ooze drips and flows off its entire frame. It resembles some kind of humanoid but no doubt is it a Grimm. Soon, after taking in its first breath of air, it slowly opened its single eye socket in the center of its head to reveal a red burning eye. _

_The Cyclops, while not as massive, as muscular, or as heavily armored as it will be in a few hundred years, it was still quite a large and menacing looking Grimm that dwarfs most others. _

_Once it gained its bearings, it started looking around where it stood; Somewhere in the middle of a barren wasteland. Rocky terrain with many massive purple crystal-like structures sprouting across the landscape. The sky was a hellish-dark red and the shattered moon seen in the sky. There were no plants or animal life anywhere to be found._

_If any sane mortal were here, it would truly be a place of nightmares._

_The hulking Grimm looked around, as it noticed other types of its brethren crawling out from where it just came from; most of them were common such as Beowulfs but plenty of other kinds, from the smallest Imp to the largest Goliath, have also risen from the dark pools. _

_It also sees a group of humanoid Grimm that were moaning and groaning like zombies, lethargically coming out of the dark pools… and were, oddly, moving at a slow pace._

_Then there was a strange raspy noise nearby that the Cyclops saw something else emerging from the same black pools it also came from. It looked like an impish, humanoid, creature, with small horns and long arms each tipped with two long, boney, fingers. It barely even has a visible mouth that's almost stitched entirely shut by the webbing of its own skin. What's odd for it, as it was emerging out of the pools, from the waste down, weren't a pair of legs, but another part of itself that resembled a partially skeletal equine which is the size of an average horse, with clawed front feet, and hooved back feet. _

_The strange Grimm fully emerged and stood next to the Cyclops which stared at it in silence._

_The humanoid part of the Grimm was constantly wheezing and rasping, while randomly twitching its head. The sounds of snapping and cracking were heard as it turned its gaze towards its larger counterpart, giving a rather soulless stare at the one eyed behemoth which starred back with its gazing eye. Almost as if they are peculiar with each other's appearance and their purpose of being here._

_Several seconds of silence have passed, as the strange Grimm rasped with indifference, as it's equine half snorted and started walking off to wherever it sensed any negative emotions. Many other Grimm were already doing the same. Even the ones that can fly took off and flew over the terrain and out into the horizon while the ones that can only swim took the pool channels that lead out to sea._

_Seeing what the others were doing, the Cyclops followed their example as it too lumbered forward, already starting to feel the instincts and urge to slay any human and faunus in sight. It doesn't bother questioning it, despite being aware of it_

_Before it left the wasteland, it stopped when it sensed a heavy and powerful presence that felt very similar to the source that brought it here….. but more concentrated and focused. It looked up towards a nearby mountain of rock formations covered with more dark crystals.. and there stood something…. __**Someone,**__ at the top._

_Looking down upon their creations… a silhouette that resembles a human with a feminine build, covered in a dark robe like dress with red symbols similar to the Grimm themselves. Even covered by the darkness and shadows, what could be seen from the being were a pair black and red eyes… and a wicked smile._

_The one eyed Grimm didn't know nor understand what is happening or why the being is there …. but all it knew was the buzzing feeling it sensed to its core that it needs to do what it's made to do. So it goes out across the world of Remnant and spreads its destruction._

_Years, decades, even centuries, have passed. The Cyclops roamed the continent of Sanus, constantly bringing its wake of destruction and terror wherever it went, slaughtering countless people and faunus alike, even many of those that tried to fight back fell victim to its hunger for death. _

_As it kept going and fighting, it evolved; bigger, stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, and more adaptable. Even when the humans and faunus continued to advance themselves to further combat the Grimm, the Cyclops was able to keep up with them. It even became intelligent enough to stay away from major kingdoms and crafted a weapon of its own to wield, something that's rare for even a humanoid Grimm to accomplish. Some even say it's an example of the next step in Grimm evolution._

_And during that single moment, …. It finally realized something it never had at first; A hidden subconscious. A burning desire. To impress it's creator by further raising its kill count on the populace of Remnant, including the huntsmen that hunt it and its brethren…. and it will continue to do so… only with a bigger reason behind it all…._

_It isn't done with them yet…._

* * *

Back in reality, the four boys continue to watch, an obvious concern the Cyclops hasn't disintegrated and is still standing there. Must be that larger Grimm sometimes takes a bit longer to fully dissipate to ash but that's still not really helping since it's been a little while.

"Is it dead or is it just playing possum with us?" Rocky asked in a whisper, sounding worried that it might not be over yet.

That's when they heard a dreadfully familiar humming sound again. They noticed the eye was glowing brightly again… and the iron spike still lodged in its eye started to steam and glow dark red.

It's when the four realize what they are gonna be going through. They all had sweat drops rolling down the back of their heads as they brace for what's to come….

"Apparently not…." Nigel responded.

"Uhhhhh…. That doesn't look good." Gale muttered with dread in his eyes.

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"**

As if coming back to life, the Cyclops has gone completely berserk and bellows skywards to the heavens…. firing a large beam of red, destructive energy out of its entire eye that the iron spike got even brighter that it started to slightly bend and even melt.

The roar echoed across the entire forest that almost every square inch of it felt the rumble of its warcry. So powerful that not only did most of the nearby surrounding trees across most of the forest to quiver and shake. The closest trees were being bent back and threatened to have their branches broken off. But even that paled in comparison to its gigantic beam of pure raw energy beams its way up into the sky, even blowing a small but noticeable hole through an unfortunate cloud.

Everyone in Beacon witnessed the footage seeing the Cyclops suddenly doing that was so shockingly unbelievable that it's incomprehensible to even believe it with their own eyes or for their brains to process. The adult staff weren't doing any better as most of them too were shocked out of their wits. Nevins had his mouth agape and looked spooked out of his mind that he looked to be on the verge of passing out from shock.

Ozpin and Glynda can easily see that. Not just on their tablets… but also by looking out into the distance of the forest that they see a small little red line beaming into the sky. Glynda felt herself feeling that familiar dread creeping up on her again but she doesn't budge and takes a deep breath, knowing what needs to be done. Ozpin didn't say a word… he had his eyes narrowing, almost like he looked upset….

* * *

**Meanwhile**

"YAAAAAAAAAA!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, as she was running up the face of the cliff, with the aid of Weiss' glyphs, dragging up the gigantic Nevermore by the neck, with her Scythe… until she reached the top and decapitated it with one swing. And that was after the aid of Blake and Yang who helped Weiss launch Ruby at the giant demonic bird.

Apparently, Ruby, her sister Yang, and many of her new friends, have been having a fight for their lives as they were forced to face a Nevermore and a Deathstalker in another place in the forest which is an abandoned temple. Just a minute ago, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren, with Jaune surprisingly showing good leadership, already took care of the Deathstalker, with quick thinking and effective teamwork.

They managed to defeat the Deathstalker with their teamwork which included cutting off its own stinger and driving further through its head which finished it off. Now they got to watch Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang do their own teamwork to finish off the Nevermore.

"Wow…." Jaune whispered in awe towards Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang who took out that Nevermore in such an awesome fashion. Such coordinated and effective teamwork. When he looks back on how he, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren managed to beat that Deathstalker, mostly thanks to his words of advice that helped them use their skills.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang gathered close and looked up at Ruby, and Yang couldn't help but warmly smile at her little sister who has shown her worth she's definitely gonna be attending this academy with her.

"Well... that was a thing." Yang uttered, ending the silence.

Ruby stared proudly at the edge of the cliff, feeling highly proud of herself and her teammates, including Yang, they have accomplished; They've defeated and slew those two powerful Grimm and have finally collected the relics. No they should get-

**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Ending the silence came an unholy, ear splitting, roar that paralyzed them with a chilling sense of dread… as a red beam of raw energy blasted into the sky.

Thanks to Ruby being on top of the cliff, she could easily see the beam in the distance and can even tell the location it's coming from.

"What the heck is that?!" Jaune shrieked, being caught off guard by the loud roar and the giant laser. He didn't see that coming.

"I have no idea." Ren replied, slowly getting up on his feet after he collapsed from exhaustion and losing most of his aura right after defeating the Deathstalker. Even feeling tired, that roar and laser got him worked up and feeling a bit spooked. "And something tells me could be a Grimm… despite that we're seeing what looks like some kind of laser beam shooting up into the sky."

"Indeed." Pyrrha agreed, feeling a bit on edge imagining a Grimm shooting an energy beam of destruction. "Never have I seen one capable of doing something like that, in my life." The redhead said in concern. Even after a tough battle with odds against her, she's still more than ready to continue fighting if they have to. That's what she trained for and this is why she and everyone else is here.

As for Nora… she was madly grinning like she's excited to see what is making such an awesome laser beam. Though she's aware it's dangerous and she does worry for the safety of others, especially Ren, she still enjoys the thrill of it just as much because she loves smashing Grimm. "Whatever it is, whatever it can do, I want to smash its face in like a watermelon!" She jeered in excitement, much to Ren's slight displeasure but can more than tolerate it.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang, were also seeing it and we're just as shocked and confused as the others. Blake herself was especially surprised as she recognized that roar she heard earlier a little while ago and now the enemy seems to show a bit of its own power that reminds her of that spider mech back on that train she, Adam, and Vlad used to rob.

Soon, the laser stopped but the echo of the roar still went on for a bit until it went silent as well.

Well… guess that also was a thing too." Yang deadpanned, feeling how that just outdid the spectacle of their execution on the Nevermore.

"That's it?" Weiss said in slight irritation at Yang sounding so underwhelmed in her reaction. "That was a laser blasting off beyond the clouds and you say that's a thing?!"

Yang rolled her eyes at how uptight and haughty her teammate is being "Well, excuuuuuuse me, Frost Princess." she sarcastically snarked at the heiress of the SDC. "Not like you have a better way of reacting to that."

Weiss huffed, not feeling the need to make a comeback at Yang. Blake didn't say a word as she kept her eyes towards the horizon where the laser was at, her eyes under her bow kept twitching at the sounds of distant roaring… feeling her gut telling her something...

"_Adam?" _

Yang and Weiss were mildly arguing at each, with Yang more like teasing the heiress who continues being all stuffy and arrogant. However, all the silence ended when Ruby Rose came down high from the cliff and landed next to them. The three girls of this team looked back at Ruby who rather had a serious look on her face, showing the qualities of a team leader.

"We need to regroup with Jaune and the others." Ruby announced, sounding serious. "There's something we must do."

Soon, everyone managed to regroup, away from the temple, and back into the forest.

Everyone stared at Ruby who was quiet until she spoke.

"Now before we get to the bigger picture, I just wanna say, good job you guys." Ruby smiled and gave a rather awkward thumbs up to her teammates who all smiled back. Even Weiss couldn't help but smile as well, despite not really liking everyone but she couldn't help but feel warm to all of this…. something she wanted to feel in quite a long time. As for Jaune… he actually felt happy he managed to do something that was capable of helping his teammates get through, thanks to his wits and good eyesight and telling his teammates what to do that helped them win.

They all had to admit… they actually did really good taking on those two large Grimm that did give them some trouble but good thinking and strategy helped them overcome their giant sizes and brutality. Now they have another thing that caught their attention and they aren't sure what to do from there. Besides, they got what they needed and they have the chance to go back to the start and finish this initiation…. but ever since hearing that roar and seeing that beam.

"You guys are thinking the same thing as I am, aren't you?" The red hooded teen said to the others who all nodded, though, Jaune's was a bit more hesitant and nervous.

"Yes." Pyrrha answered. "We all have and even I'm shook by the mere sight of it."

"Yeah! Did you guys all see that?!" Nora shouted with excitement. "That massive beam launching into the sky! It's gotta be a Grimm we've never seen before that can shoot lasers! Fear it's LASER FACE!"

"Nora, now is not the time to be using your imagination." Ren sighed to his long time friend that he knew for so long yet is still not entirely used to her crazy antics.

"Well… I mean, we're in the middle of the Emerald Forest where the Grimm thrive." Jaune nervously said "What else is out here that couldn't be a Grimm…. that can shoot lasers out of its face… that could vaporize you to ashes?" He gulped.

"What's the point of all this?" Weiss interjected. "We have what we need and we're already spent on most of our aura and Dust. Do you think this is necessary to just go and fight something that's capable of doing anything like that?" As much as Weiss is against it, it's more out of being rational since she's clearly a bit on edge seeing Among everyone else, some were thinking the same thing being hesitant of going near whatever made that laser, Grimm or not.

Ruby scrunched her brow, admitting Weiss has a point on that. As much as she loves fighting Grimm, she knows the whereabouts between that and the dangers that threatens

"You got a point, Weiss. I am running a little low on ammo for Crescent Rose." Ruby answered, knowing they did get some hits and spent a lot on their semblance and Dust that they are a bit winded but still more than capable of keep going if they need to. "Even I know what we're dealing with and the dangers from it that could kill us all, especially going in recklessly…" She hasn't forgotten whenher charging that Deathstalker without a plan and barely did any damage to it, which left her vulnerable when she tried to escape to only end up getting her cape pinned by the Nevermore's feathers. If it wasn't for Weiss who saved her, she would've been seriously harmed.. or worse. So she learned the lesson is starting to be more cautious.

"Look. I don't know what that is that exists in this forest and if we should or shouldn't get ourselves involved with it, especially that we have what we want and are exhausted right now… but I cannot stand we should ignore it and leave it when it could pose as a potential threat to Beacon and even Vale." Ruby said.

"But still, we aren't able to fight it at our current state." Weiss said in concern.

"As much as I'm against backing off from a fight, I have to agree with the Frost Princess." Yang said.

"Hey!" Weiss shouted in annoyance of that nickname.

"Yeah." Blake joined in. "I'm definitely thinking of not blindly rushing in there half empty on ammo, while having our aura drained quite a bit. I think that's absolutely crazy and reckless."

More members of the group started voicing their expressions on their concerns until Ruby got her turn when everybody said their part.

"I know, guys." She says. "What may be out there could easily kill us and I'm sounding like we should fight it….bBut we're not gonna really for now."

"We're gonna go over there and see what it is and then we'll have to decide if we should fight it or retreat and possibly get support from the staff of Beacon. We'll keep our distance and not let it spot us." Ruby explained which actually sounds reasonable.

They heard another loud roar and what sounds like explosions in the distance.

"So. You guys wanna come with me and find out what the enemy is and possibly slay, like the huntsmen we strive to be? Or should we run and waste time just to get back up?" Ruby gave one last speech to her teammates who all looked at her. "One way or another, we must always be ready to face an enemy that may be a threat to innocent people, especially those that can't fight back. So are you all with me?"

Hearing such a speech from a little girl has gotten their spirits up so they all nodded in agreement, even smiling. Though, again, Jaune was a bit nervous facing such a massive threat but he calmed down with Pyrrha standing close to him. Though, Weiss was a little less enthusiastic about it but she has to agree they need to at least see what the threat is and what it can do until they are able to figure out what action they must do.

So they all nodded in agreement they'll join her. Besides, they all have to admit they are a bit curious, if a bit scared, what kind of Grimm or something of the sort, could shoot a laser like that which looks highly destructive.

They all ran in the direction where the beam came from, feeling fully cautious and on guard to avoid confronting the threat directly until they understood what it is and what it can really do.

* * *

Back to the main battle. The Cyclops finished shooting its laser and stopped roaring while it, without warning, grabbed the partially melted spike, despite it burning hot to the touch from the beam's heat it conducted.

"Well…. That's new." Gale said with a nervous but brave look in his eyes. "Whoever thought a Grimm could do something like that."

"Ho boy." Rocky gulped in fear. "Somebody get me a pair of yellow and brown pants..."

"As if this day can't get any worse…." Nigel sighed. Despite not showing it, he's clearly afraid and feels like they are going up against a mountain of a challenge that may kill them if they aren't so lucky.

"We can't stop now!" Adam yelled to his teammates, keeping them from breaking, even when feeling the exhaustion starting to take hold of them and they used up all of their traps, resources, and ammo. "No matter what it can do or reveal to us, we must stand our grounds and destroy it!"

Soon, the Cyclops finally pried the partially melted spike out of its eye and tossed it aside like a piece of garbage. The spike was bent and twisted out of shape that it's no longer useful for them. The Grimm covered its eye yet again as it wailed in agony but it eventually recovered.

It's eye was a complete mess to look at that the boys and anyone else seeing it all cringed at it. Despite being pierced and oozing black liquid, the Cyclops could still sort of see but its vision was very blurry and can't make out complex shapes and details anymore. Though, it can still sense them by negative emotions, which made up for its blurry vision.

"Get ready, guys!" Adam announced as he took his pose with both swords in his hands. "Give it everything you got! We're ending it's terror, here and now!" The other three boys nodded and got into their stances too, especially Gale debating himself whenever he should fully transform and Nigel has to make his trump card count when the time is right.

The Cyclops bellows and charges its eye that hummed and glowed again. Adam instantly knew what it meant and acted fast before it was fired.

"Sprint forward and fight it up close!" He commanded as they all leaped and sprinted forward, barely avoiding the beam of energy that blasted and exploded once it hit the ground, sending more dirt and stone flying. As much as they don't like taking the Cyclops up close, it's a far better risk than getting blasted and vaporized from a distance. With no other opti optional trap laid out, they're gonna have to use their talents and tools now to get this job done.

The battle escalated more as the four boys darted everywhere, as they punched, kicked, slashed, and bombard the monster with Dust from every angle they could reach, even for the eye, as more cracks and dents appeared on its armor and more black ooze sleeping out of its wounds. The Cyclops kept swinging its fists, sending out a kick, and even shooting a powerful beam that either incinerates the ground, destroyed more trees and burnt their leaves to ash, or even blasted the tower which left a large gaping hole in it which threatens to collapse it but stays upright.

Everyone back at Beacon were struck with awe mixed with terror seeing them going all out with no backup plans or tricks up their sleeves. Just themselves and their weapons taking on the injured, yet persistent, demon.

"I… I cannot believe what I am seeing." Velvet muttered under her breath. The way they fight is so awesome that she even likes their fighting styles that are giving her some ideas. "It's like I'm dreaming."

"Yeah. Even though I'm starting to admit our last time we were slaying a horde of Grimm, especially when I'm getting hyped and tearing down many swarms of them with my baby, it starts to look pale compared to what we're seeing." Coco said.

Nevins was even more awestruck seeing this that he was leaning closer to the holo screen and looked.

"Blimey… never have I seen anything this intense and violent for so long in my life." Nevins muttered under his breath… the more he looked at them, fighting with such determination and bravery in their eyes, even in Rocky's… he felt his soul begin to illuminate within his elderly husk of a body.

"_I don't know why I'm now thinking and telling myself this… but I feel I would be damned if you and the other three would fall to the clutches of that demon." _He thought. "You must _win… you all must WIN and come back here in one piece….. especially you, lad." _He thought, referring to Rocky.

Glynda was slightly shaking again but stayed put, still putting faith in the four, and Ozpin remained silent, watching the spectacle and waiting for the outcome, hoping humanity wins over the Grimm today.

Despite their best efforts, the four boys were slowly losing ground. Adam slashed the Grimm's cheekbones which left more slash marks but then he got swatted aside which sent him slamming into the ground that left a human sized crater. He groaned as he struggled to get back up.

"Adam!" All the other three shouted in worry of their leader but that was a mistake as the Cyclops briefly sensed a bit of negativity and turned it's limited sight to the closest target.

As he got up to a knee, Adam watched in shock as the Grimm suddenly moved faster than before that it punted Nigel with its foot, like a soccer ball, that sent him flying several yards back until he smashed into the ground and skidded several more yards that left a carved up trail, until he smashed into a tree which was almost uprooted completely out of the ground.

"Nigel!" Adam, Gale, and especially Rocky shouted in worry for Nigel.

Than, with Rocky distracted in midair, the Cyclops sensed his worry which made it sent a hand out and_ flicked _Rocky which sent him flying like an arrow until he slammed through a large rock head first which his entire head was sticking out the other side and had a mouth full of pebbles falling out. Birds and stars were flying around his head.

"Rocky!" Now it was Adam, Gale, and especially Nigel, who was still a bit dazed, screamed in worry for their roadrunner teammate.

"That's it! You're gonna pay for that!" Gale shouts as he launches forward and starts unleashing a brutal combo of powerful strikes from his fists and feet with the aid of his gauntlets and Wind Dust. He even went as far as giving a mighty headbutt against the Cyclop's forehead so hard it slightly cracked and almost bent its neck back. But the Grimm growled in response as it wounded up a mighty punch that Gale was too slow to react in time.

**KAPOW! **

Compared to what the Alpha Beringel did to him once, this is arguably way worse. Thankfully, Gale was able to raise his arms and block, adding an extra layer of Wind Dust to shield him… but even that felt way stronger than getting punched square in the face by an Alpha Beringel. A shockwave was made as Gale went rocketing back like a bullet until he slammed into the tower at the base… and then the entire tower collapsed like a stack of cards due to the unstable damage it suffered.

Nigel and Rocky, the latter who just spat out the last pebble and came back to his senses, watched in horror watching their new friend taking a rather painful and devastating looking punch directly, even if blocked, and being sent into the tower that follows up on crushing him underneath several tons of rubble stone.

"GALE!" Nigel and Rocky shouted at the top of their lungs, watching their new friend get buried beneath the collapsed tower.

It was no different as most of the students who were watching gasped in horror and some even shrieked how devastating that looked lethal.

While Velvet had her hands over her mouth how terrible that was, she suddenly noticed Yatsuhashi… he didn't look shocked nor terrified… but he frowned and looked serious while crossing his.

"Yatsu? Is there something wrong?" Velvet asked in confusion. "You saw that guy get launched into the tower that also fell on him and you don't look too worried."

"I know that." Yatsu replied without taking his eyes off the screen, specifically at the pile of rubble. "I usually keep things to myself about other people but even I'm concerned for his life… especially I know it's gonna take far more than that to put him down."

That caught the others by surprise and they were a little confused as they looked at him funny.

"What do you mean by that, Yatsu?" Coco asked her larger teammate

"I don't know why exactly… but I know he's really strong. Just by witnessing him, his fighting style, and his semblance backs it all up." The tall and imposing teenager replied.

"_And I can't help myself… but feel like having a little spare match with him if he survives this…. If given the chance."_

Underneath the rubble, it was really dark and there are barely any cracks for beams of light to shine through.

"Man… that thing's strong and hard to kill…. especially that eye laser it can now do…" Gale groaned as he tried to move but is suddenly wedged beneath all the rubble that he's struggling to move it, due to an uncomfortable position that gives him no proper leverage, the straining weight of dozens of tons weighing him down, and that hit the Cyclops gave him was still rather painful. His aura is still going but it took a major hit, even when he blocked, was depleted to almost half.

He tried to look around but could barely make out any details since it was very dark, whatever he could see made by the narrow rays of light didn't matter as it was nothing but reduced rubble of stone and dust.

"Great…." Gale groaned as he tried to move but not much. "Wedged beneath a fallen tower, your teammates and partner still out there fighting for their lives, and you're stuck between a rock and a hard place… literally… what a way to end up here in the middle of a battle that I need to get back in…."

Gale tried to put in more effort in freeing himself… but even in his half transformed state, he's clearly stuck and futile to get out any time soon. Gale grunted as he put in even more effort that he was on the verge of popping a blood vessel and managed to slightly move the rubble up but it suddenly forced him back down as he couldn't push back any more. He sighed and grunted from the painful strain and now feels more uncomfortable having the rubble press down on him even more.

"It's no use… too heavy…." He sighed and now started having trouble breathing with the weight holding him down. "If I want to get out of here and rejoin the fight… the only solution is my full transformed state which should help me break free… and a good time to use to beat that Grimm."

He tries to activate it but it seems to not work at first as something is holding him back. Despite his logic behind that he knows it will help him get out of here…. he can't help but realize he's hesitating what his teammates and possibly even the rest of the academy taking a look at him when he's fully transformed… which has been known to cause a variety of reactions back in the jungles of Sanus, positive or negative.

"Heh… must be my subconscious fearing what they will all think of me once they see me like that…. Guess, even when I fully convinced myself to embrace my decision to leave the jungle, it seems I'm still anxious about taking my fully transformed state around other people…."

It's true. He can still remember the times of the few people that did despise and feared him of his fully transformed state which took the form of a massive, muscle bound, humanoid elephant that's capable of such massive destruction if not left checked in his control. While he can't forget there were those that did praise him and were in his debt of saving their villages, while having no fear of his elephant form… there were still those few that feared him and drove him away, even after he saved them. The last time he ever full transformed state around people… was the time it was around a certain girl….

Though, most of them were people living in the same jungle and weren't accustomed to society as much as the place he is in now… how much different will these people think of him compared to the ones from his homeland? Will they love him? Fear him? Be indifferent and treat him as casually as everyone else co-existing in Vale? Those were the questions that made him feel nervous to face head on…..

That's when he noticed something in front of him that he can barely see. As he adjusted his focus… it was a familiar feather… the same one his grandfather gave him long ago. It must have fallen out and looks slightly ruffled but still in one piece, thankfully.

Seeing that feather… instantly reminded him of his beloved grandfather, but much more emotionally clear than he did when he talked to Adam in the gorge….. He could see his towering and imposing size but it doesn't scare him as that paled in comparison to his warm and welcoming smile, his gentle eyes of wisdom and parenting, and especially his grandfatherly love and training that raised him into a fine young boy who was able to live on his own to where he is now as a capable young man… and Gale feels he's still watching over him as his guardian angel….

Gale felt a rising sense of determination and power in his soul as he reached out and grabbed the feather that he gently held in his hand. He takes a deep breath as he begins to calm down and clear his mind that he can focus his power better.

"One way or another I have to keep going…. whatever it takes…. even if I am or not to be shunned and resented by everyone." He whispered but didn't falter as he tightened his fists. "But I'm not alone… Adam… Nigel… and Rocky."

He thought of his teammates smiling with him as they planned everything out together like the buddies they are and the bonding they shared so far that he wishes to add more in their journey. "They understand me. They won't leave me behind. Because I know they will stay by my side because they promised to trust me, as I will trust them, no matter what. They're my next pillar for a happy life I've longed seeked."

He closed his eyes and began to focus…. that he felt the rising power within him slowly but steadily increase, that his aura brightened and he slowly began to slightly grow in size and a few elephant features began to appear.

"_I… am Gale Hathi."_

His eyes flashed open and are now glowing brightly orange.

"_I will strike down the enemy, and protect the future and for the people that I cherish."_

Adam gripped the ground with his fingers that they dug into the dirt and scraped clumps of it out of the earth, as his teeth gritted and tightened that they threatened to break. The Cyclops was about to turn its attention to Adam as it felt a rising increasing in anger but it suddenly got hit by another lightning Dust bullet in the side of its

"HEY! I'm not down with ya, you overgrown laser pointer!" Rocky shouted as he drew its attention back to him. The two duked it out which left Nigel and Adam time together.

"At least he will keep it busty." Nigel muttered as he tried to stand back up but suddenly felt a rising pressure nearby that was Adam. With his semblance helping him see aura and emotions, the tattooed faunus felt a little disturbed, as he noticed something different.

Adam's aura manifested and took shape into a bull by his emotions, just like how he and the others did earlier but something was wrong; instead of glowing blue, the blue bull's eyes…. were glowing **RED **which made it look even scarier**. **Even as it snorted, the clouds of aura coming out of its nostrils were also red.

He also sensed his rising anger and rage…. as Adam could already feel himself getting angrier that he almost couldn't think straight and charge in like an angry bull seeing the color Red.

"_There's something very wrong with Adam, just by his aura and emotions. He's getting angrier by the second… and it's unfathomable to even see his aura look like that. " _Nigel thought in concern. While he has seen all kinds of ways aura behaves, based on the emotion of their users, even taking shapes of what they represent… but never something like that before. From the start, Adam was all calm and collective and now he seems to be on the verge of going berserk.

Just as it looked like Adam was gonna charge and scream like a berserking lunatic…. he strained and groaned in frustration.

"_Hrngh! STOP!"_ Adam mentally cursed himself not to lose himself by his anger…. once again. _"Control yourself, Adam Tauros… remember what master taught you to control your emotions. You can't get reckless, especially with your teammates at risk."_ He slowly took a deep breath. Still, despite not cutting himself loose, he's still rather pissed this monster has harmed his teammates and friends, especially his partner. _He looked over to where Gale went and saw no signs of movement._

"_I can't worry for Gale at the moment and focus on the main threat. I need to have hope he took that hit and is still alive beneath that rubble… just hang on a little longer, we'll get you out when we can."_

Nigel sensed the anger within Adam slowly ceasing while the blue bull aura vanished. _"Seems he managed to calm down…. That's good." _Nigel sighed in relief but then sensed a far greater and rising pressure coming from the collapsed tower where Gale fell. Seeing through the rubble, he saw a familiar aura that was a familiar color and pattern that was much like Gale's.

"_Wait… hold on… is that…?_

There was the sound of stirring and movement coming from the remains of the tower, along with an increasing pressure of power that even Adam and Rocky felt. Even the Cyclops suddenly stopped fighting as it turned its attention towards the tower, despite only sensing negativity, it sensed the power and pressure resonating underneath the debris. The power increased as rays of orange light streamed and flashed through the gaps.

"The drone is getting a massive reading of aura and power that's steadily increasing, coming from the pile of rubble!" Glynda said to Ozpin with surprise who also seemed anticipated and curious, almost like he doesn't look surprised.

Soon, the power died down and the orange light desists. All was quiet that there was nothing but the sound of blowing wind….

BOOM!

As if a bomb went off beneath the debris, dust and pieces of the tower went flying in every direction which caught everyone off guard, even the Cyclops which turned its head over its shoulders to see what happened behind it.

There was a large silhouette within the dust cloud that looked like some kind of elephant but on two feet, followed by the sound of a roar that sounded like that of an elephant, but more monstrous and human like. Before anyone could even try to comprehend what's going on, they were all caught off guard as the silhouette charged out of the dust cloud and out into the open at full speed. His giant feet shook the ground and trumpeted at full volume towards the Cyclops.

The three were trying to comprehend what they were seeing but they instantly recognized the hakama pants the creature was wearing and the tuft of orange hair on top of its head, along with the earrings and necklace it wore.

"Is that… Gale….?" The three all said in unison, putting it together that it has to be their teammate, due to the familiar clothing, orange hair, and especially that tattoo on its back which is now glowing with power, and that it came from the same spot where Gale was.

Gale ignored their confused stares and charged at his target he needed to take down. Before the Cyclops could even do anything, it was caught off guard as Gale came at it at top speed and shoulder tackled it in the legs from behind which caused it to fall forward and crash into the ground like a fallen tree.

While the spectacle was happening, Rocky quickly ran over to Nigel and helped him up, as they did the same to Adam but they never took their eyes off the giant fighting that's happening.

With both up close, it's obvious the Cyclops still dwarfs Gale, even in his elephant form, but it sure does lessen the size difference a fair bit that Gale doesn't look as tiny. As it tried to get up, the Cyclops suddenly felt a giant hand firmly grab onto its horn and then saw a giant fist coming right at it…

WHAM!

Gale unleashed a mighty punch in the Grimm's face that the impact was doing a lot of damage as the Cyclops heavily flinched and groaned out of reflex. Gale kept going at it with more punches while keeping the Cyclops still. Fragments of its mask and several teeth were sent flying from the punches Gale was giving it nonstop.

Every student in Beacon had their jaws dropped watching the new thing they never expected to see something like that. Even Nevins was so shocked he missed drinking his coffee which spilled all over the floor but he was too flabbergasted to notice or care. Glynda was also flabbergasted; she just had her eyes wide open yet again. Ozpin… seemed really curious now.

"I said it once and I'll say it again… this year's academy is gonna be an interesting one." The headmaster says happily as he sips his mug… only to realize it's empty. "Oh dear. It seems I may need a refill." He chuckled while Glynda wasn't amused with a sour look in her eyes, especially at a time like this.

* * *

When the students came back to their senses, their reactions… were rather surprisingly positive.

"That's so cool!"

"So awesome!"

"Come on, Elephant Man! Kick it's ass!"

"WOO! You go, dude! Way to show the Grimm not to mess with us humans and faunus!"

"You know what… I take it back. I haven't seen everything." Yatsuhashi admitted how surprised he saw Gale do that which was the least thing he would've expected.

"Man. Just what kind of team are these guys?"

"**Seeing only half of them showing their abilities…. it's gonna get really interesting." **Fox said.

Velvet couldn't say a word because she was just too deep in awe seeing this kind of thing happening that's about to go down.

Only a handful of people didn't get excited seeing this, either out of fear, disgust, or indifference. But that is only a minority compared to most that are liking this guy being able to shapeshift into an awesome humanoid elephant.

* * *

Even when he can't hear the cheers, Gale doesn't let up as he continues pummeling the Cyclops in the face that much of its mask was cracked and more fragments were gone but it suddenly roared in retaliation and caught Gale's giant fist with its bigger one. It started to get back up onto a knee and forced Gale to let go as he caught the Grimm's free hand trying to punch him. Now the two giants are forced in a locked power struggle as they push and struggle. At first it seemed even, but Gale started to lose ground as he was slowly getting pushed back that he dug his elephant feet into the ground and skidded back that upturned the ground.

As Gale struggled, he heard a dreaded humming sound he was too familiar with. He looked up and can see the Cyclops' eye, despite being damaged, is charging up to shoot him point blank that could seriously be fatal.

"Rocky! Adam! Toss me at the Cyclops!" Nigel yelled as the bull and bird faunus each grabbed Nigel's arms and worked together as they spun to gain enough momentum to launch Nigel at the Grimm. As he sailed towards the target, he flipped in midair that he was going in feet first and outstretched both of his legs out that he slammed into the Grimm's cheek so hard it forced to turn its head away from Gale and that was just before it could fire its laser. The laser made a wide arc where its head went and ended up slicing through dozens and dozens of trees of the forest and a few ruined pillars which all collapsed like a bundle of sticks.

This gave Gale the opening to unleash a brutal uppercut on the Cyclops chin which forced it to let him go and he took the opportunity to retreat with Nigel and regrouped with Rocky and Adam.

The Cyclops was really messed up from that beatdown that it struggled getting back onto its feet at a slow pace which gave enough time for the three faunus to stare at their teammate's animal form which was new to them, while Gale calmly stared back at them.

"Gale… is that really you?" Adam asked his giant partner who stared back at him with the calm expression of his elephant gaze.

"Nigel's eyes flashed for a second and he instantly recognized the familiar emotions and aura wave patterns he gives off, only at a much more intense level in that form which made him smirk.

"Well, based on your tone and what my semblance is telling me, unless it's all wrong, then it must be Gale." Nigel smirked up at his giant teammate who couldn't help but rumbly chuckle at the hint of sarcasm in Nigel's tone.

"Isn't it obvious, guys?" Rocky pointed out. "Aren't we also missing the obvious details here? The pants? The hair? That tattoo on his back?"

Gale watched his teammates and partner being so casual next to him that he felt… relieved and especially happy they were treating him no different than before he revealed his semblance to them. It gives him more hope there are people who will accept him for who he is, as the many back in the jungle that didn't drive him away with threats and insults.

"**...YES….. IT'S ME…. GUYS. "** Gale answered with his tone rumbling and slow, but gentle and calm, even happy. They noticed the way he speaks is different, tet, familiar. Even in this form, they recognize him as the same friendly and lovable gentle giant since they first met him earlier today. **"THIS IS WHAT…. MY SEMBLANCE…. IS."**

"Yep. That must be Gale alright." Rocky sarcastically, yet teasingly, said which made Gale wanted to chuckle but that would have to wait when Cyclops roared and finally got back to its feet, albeit hunching over just a little bit, showing signs it's been taking a major beating but it's still asking for more.

"Looks like our chit chat is gonna have to wait, guys." Adam announced as he got into his battle stance which everyone else did as well. "We got a mission to finish."

"So what now?" Nigel asked. "We used all our traps and that Grimm still hard to crack open and it will kill us before we can kill it. I doubt even Gale's elephant form will be enough to tip the scale in our favor." He added as the Grimm started to lumber forward, the humming in its eye started to charge up yet again.

Nigel was right. Even after all their traps used up and Gale's trump card brought in, it's still not enough. Even if Nigel and Adam used their trump card to the mix, it might not be enough either….

That's when Adam had an idea as he stared at the eye that's nearly fully charged… he remembered what the Cyclops can do with its eye and it reminded him of something… like the time what he did back on that train in the Forever Fall….

"I have an idea." Adam told them, and rather quickly as the Cyclops is about to fire. "And it's gonna be our last chance to win this."

"What is it?" Rocky asked. "And you better tell us quickly or we're gonna get fried and I'll be served as fried chicken." He gulped as the Cyclops was about to fire again.

"Damage it a bit more and I'll do the rest by getting it's attention and "

He then notices the club that the Cyclops has dropped and seemingly forgot about it.

"And Gale."

Gale turned his head and looked at Adam in curiosity.

"When I say "now", stop it anyway you can."

Gale nodded to gesture as a 'will do'.

"Speaking of stopping it…. I bet that Cyclops wouldn't mind if we _borrowed _it's club for the time being." Adam smirked as he noticed the club nearby.

Gale looked at Adam and then at the Club for a second… and couldn't help but give the best smirk he could express as an elephant by opening his mouth wide, flexing his trunk, and flapping his ears. He's so liking the idea Adam is suggesting to him, as Nigel and Rocky were also liking it by their visible smirks.

It has gotten relatively rowdy with all the students no longer holding back and actually cheering and shouting in confidence for the four to defeat that Cyclops. A big symbolize way of expressing mankind and the faunus against the Grimm.

Even team CFVY, Nevins, Glynda, and Ozpin were especially giving their support but in a more subtle fashion with such concentrated anticipation that the tension held them on the edges of their toes. As for Ruby and her friends, they were moving as fast as they could and they were getting closer to the fight.

The Cyclops finally reaches full charge and prepares to fire at the annoying worms that just won't lie down and die. Never has it ever felt a sense of urge to just kill these four fleshlings that dare stand up to it and make a humiliating beat down when it strives to be the most feared and dangerous Grimm in existence.

With no need for a speech at the monster, there was one thing the four man team could say.

"BRING IT ON!" Adam, Nigel, and Rocky shouted at the top of their lungs while Gale just loudly roared and trumpeted in defiance at the monster that took away so many lives.

The Cyclops fired another blast that soared at the team of four but they already moved out of the way and charged with Gale easily keeping up with the other three, sprinting towards their enemy.

The Grimm raises both of its arms into a sledgehammer fist and brings it down yet again on them, roaring at them to just die so it can get on with its existence. They all leaped out of the way but Gale could only skid and sidestep aside, as his size and weight kept him from being blasted away from the shockwave of the Grimm's attack.

With the Cyclops left open, Adam and Nigel came in and started working together with a combo of endless slashing of two swords and two bladerangs, respectively, that chunks of bone and Grimm flesh were getting chipped and peeled off, doing tremendous damage. The Grimm counters with a wide backhanded swipe of its arm that hit them and sent them flying back.

Gale rushed in and jabbed at the Cyclops' abdomen several times that the Grimm felt it and grunted in pain but it soon punched Gale down which forced him crashing face first into the ground and formed a large crater. It then pressed its foot down on the humanoid elephant and tried to crush him underneath but Gale resisted and pushed back which Rocky came in from behind and used the Grimm's knee as stepping platform to leap up to the Cyclops's face and fired a Mud laced Dust bullet that exploded into a glob of mud that further blinded the monster. It roared in surprise and tried to wipe the mud off, only for Gale to take the opportunity to force it off of him which made it stumble back with the mud still on its face.

Rocky did something nifty as he then fired a Fire Dust bullet which exploded in the Grimm's face. The heat from the fire hardened and solidified the mud into a rock like material which makes it hard for the Cyclops to get it off its face and, as much as it couldn't see, unable to see at all.

This gave Adam time to blitz around the heels of the Grimm, trying to sever its achilles tendons but the bone armor did their job preventing that from happening, though, pieces of it did get chipped off. The Cyclops managed to sense him and kicked him away but left itself open for Gale to jump on its back and grabbed one of its shoulder blades, tears it off, and stands it in the neck which bellowed in anger as it grabbed him over its shoulder and tosses him off that he landed next to Adam who just recovered. Then it tried digging its fingers into the rock like mud that's still on its face that it started to crack and crumbled off.

"Oh boy…" Rocky grumbled as he tried firing off more Dust bullets but that only caught the Grimm's attention and briefly sensed where he was. It raised it's foot and stomped down which created another shockwave that sent the bird faunus forced back and tumbled like a wheel until he too was next to Adam and Gale with his eyes spinning. All was left between them and the Cyclops is Nigel who stood in shock seeing his teammates getting their butts handed, even against a somewhat weakened and blinded Cyclops…. It comes to show just how tough and dangerous this monster really is that it needs to be put down.

The entire crowd that was watching this were sweating bullets, especially Glynda and Nevins, seeing how brutal it's getting and it seems the boys are losing their edge in this fight.

"_Bloody Hell. This monster just keeps coming and asking for more. We're nearly spent on everything we have and we're out of traps…."_

He looks back at the others who are standing back up and getting ready to fight but the Cyclops was already charging towards them by sensing their pain and anxiety.

"_I gotta give them time to recover and spread out…. guess I have no choice but to use my ace in the hole…."_

Nigel cleared his mind and slowed his breathing, focusing on using his trump card that he now deems necessary to be used. Though, he's standing there, out in the open, as the Cyclops was coming towards him at a fast pace, yet, at a slightly slower pace than before. This does not go unnoticed as the audience in Beacon were now muttering and whispering in concern what Nigel is doing as he's just standing there and looking like he's letting himself be left open and easy pickings.

* * *

"What the Hell is he doing?! He's just standing there and doing nothing! He's gonna get killed!" Coco shouted, sounding a bit concerned for that kangaroo faunus.

"If he doesn't do something… he's gonna get crushed." Velvet said in concern but Yatsu and Fox don't seem as worried…

"**As much as I wonder what he's doing… unless he's got a death wish, no way he's that stupid to let himself be exposed like that without a good reason." **Fox said to his three teammates at once which made them start to feel more at east, more so with Velvet and especially Coco.

* * *

As the Cyclops reeled back another fist and prepared to unleash it on Nigel and flatten him to a pancake…. Nigel finally brought in his trump card.

"**There are a number of ways to take on many kinds of larger opponents…. with the right knowledge and skill."**

He opened his eyes which were now glowing a familiar violet shade as everything around him turned a shade of violet, as his surroundings were slightly distorted and time slowed to a crawl….. Once again, he can sense aura around him much more clearly… seeing the auras of his friends and even the silhouettes of their spirit animals, including Gale's orange elephant which looks far larger and with longer tusks.

But there was something else he sensed. Even without looking, he can sense eight aura signatures coming his way and some of them felt very familiar. He doesn't take much focus on that, though, as he now creates a mental simulation that shows one of the many possible events how this will go down for him and the Grimm.

"**First, dodge the Grimm's incoming fist."**

The Cyclops throws a punch but Nigel casually dodged without using much muscle that it's like as if sliding to avoid the attack.

"**Then counter the attacker with slashes across its forearm to harass it."**

Nigel drew his bladerangs and slashed the arm which were minor but were enough to enrage the Cyclops which roared.

"**Provoked, it will try to seize you."**

The Cyclops roars in fury and reaches both of its hands out to try to grab him and crush him like it did before.

"**Sever its fingers with a cyclone of your blades."**

Nigel spun like a blender and ended up severing off three fingers, two on the left hand and one on the right.

"**Then leap to its face and initiate a sharp kick to the nasal."**

Nigel leaped up and performed a powerful kick in the center of the face, that was already broken from Gale's assault earlier, which shattered the nasal part of the mask.

"**Then maneuver behind the neck with an axe kick to the cervical."**

He swung around by the Grimm's horns until he was behind it then did a nasty axe kick to the back of the Cyclop's neck that the visible spine bent and cracked.

"**Dodge several crushing stomps and counter with a double kick to dislocate it's kneecap."**

He easily dodged all of its stomps and then did an astounding leap towards its knee and doublekicked it so hard there was a shockwave and the kneecap was dislocated.

"**Dodge a furious swipe and leap onto its back.**

He then gracefully dodged the Cyclops trying to swat him with a side swipe of its arm. He sprinted between its legs and leaped onto its back.

"**Plant explosive Dust into an open wound and leap off."**

Exactly as what was said, Nigel impaleed the Grimm's back with the sharp end of his bladerang and planted at least a dozen of his Fire Dust vials into the open wound, crushed them, and leaped off.

"**Ignite it."**

He scraped the sharp ends of both his bladerangs together that created sparks which landed on the Dust lodged in the Grimm's back.

There was an explosion that carpeted the entire back of the Cyclops that roared in extreme pain as the force of the explosion pushed it forward.

"**In summary; several non-fatal lashes across the arm, three severed fingers, nasal part of the mask completely shattered, damaged cervical, dislocated kneecap, and entire back scorched and blown to shreds. Current status of the enemy; Heavily damaged and worn down. Capacity to move; Highly hindered. Capacity to kill; Still functional and still dangerous. **

All in that split second, it came to Nigel and now he knows what he can do, despite there being no outcome where he could kill the monster. This is better than absolutely nothing so he has to make it count. Though, he's now suffering a rather painful headache that's a bit worse than the one he did on Tiny so he needs to focus this time to make his analysis work.

Just as the Grimm threw it's punch…. 23 seconds have passed and now the Grimm is stumbling forward right after getting most of its back has been blown off with more bone exposed and it's armored spine being visibly damaged.

* * *

Now the halls were filled with the loud cheers and hollers of the students were cheering and hollering how awesome and sweet that was, even highly impressed and flabbergasted how easy Nigel made that look.

"Oh dang. I knew he was pretty cool but now he seems more awesome. I'm liking his style of fashion AND his way of beating up Grimm." Coco whistled like she was even more impressed. Velvet was happily cheering while both Yatsu and Fox had their arms folded but were grinning like they sure were enjoying this beatdown.

"Such power. Such skill." Nevins muttered in amazement. "Never have I seen anything like that in a long long time…." Watching everyone doing their part, Gale's elephant form that looked like a powerhouse, Adam's impeccable leadership and sword skills, Nigel's acrobatics and his mysterious ability that especially Rocky's crazy, yet effective and practical, approaches…. not since he was a young lad…

Glynda and Oz were silent but were highly impressed by the performance. Though, they were actually able to notice…. the moment when Nigel's eyes flashed and glowed purple for a split second.

"How interesting…" Ozpin said in curiosity.

"He must have used what looked like his semblance." Glynda replied but she was feeling happy the abomination that gave her nightmares and took her childhood friend is getting what it deserved, as it seems to be on the verge of defeat.

* * *

Nigel stood where he landed and glared at the Cyclops that was stumbling and barely staging on its feet from that powerful explosion and its dislocated knee wasn't helping. It looked over its shoulder and gave the most chilling death glare a Grimm could ever give. Then it suddenly straightened it's leg out, grabbed the dislocated knee joint, and forced it back in with a sickening snap as it bellowed in pain doing that. Despite fixing it, it could only limp to move around which slows it down, yet, it's as determined to kill them as ever.

Nigel wasn't showing any signs of being intimidated but he clutched his head and tried to soothe the headache that was still pounding his head but it started fading away. Despite his efforts, his aura was nearly gone and he was panting. Doing one more type of hard action would spell his aura shattering.

"Woah…" That's all Rocky could say in response watching Nigel being such a badass.

Gale and Adam were silent but they were also highly surprised by what Nigel did that sent the Cyclops reeling and putting on the ropes, all while not suffering a single hit. However, that gave them enough time to take action since the Cyclops' speed has been reduced.

"Now, Gale!" Adam shouted as Gale nodded and ran over to the club that the Cyclops dropped and is just laying there. Taking Adam's advice, it's a good time to use the Grimm's own weapon against it.

"Now is the time for me to use my own trump card." Adam said as he looked at Rocky. "Rocky, keep its attention on you one last time and give it Hell." He instructed which made Rocky smile.

"Aye aye, captain!" Rocky saluted and reloaded his revolvers one last time with the strongest Dust he's carrying and charges at the Grimm and climbs up it's abdomen until he was on its face and forced its mouth open and aimed both revolvers into its mouth

"OPEN WIDE!" Rocky screams as he shoots every last Dust laced bullet down the throat of the Grimm which sends off a variety of explosions in its mouth and throat which did so much damage that smoke, ice, electricity, and wisps of flame, were billowing out of its mouth and some holes in its body but that isn't enough to kill it as it quickly snatched him in its hand starts squeezing him so hard that he was like a stress toy since his eyes nearly popped out but his aura was about to shatter which spells big trouble for Rocky.

This caused panic in the eyes of some of the students… and even Nevins, as much as he won't admit it, is also worried for the boy's safety.

"Hnnngh!" Rocky painfully grunted at the pressure trying to crush him. "I see you're trying to use me as your own stress toy because you're, you know, having such a bad day and nothing more… but I won't allow you to use me like that." He declared as he suddenly contorted into the shape of a noodle and slipped out of the Grimm's grasp and reformed into his default shape. However, that was the last of his aura which shattered as he sprinted away, albeit, not as fast without his toon force. The Cyclops then tried to chase him but something zoomed past it that ended up chopping off one of its horns which caught its attention.

There stood Adam holding Wilt and the borrowed sword but he appears to sheath Wilt while strapping the other sword to his back. He just stood there with a frown on his face and his eyes hidden by his mask.

"I'm right here, you despicable piece of filth." Adam sneered at the monster as he dared it to come at him which has caught its attention that it ignored Rocky who ran to safety.

"Your terror and slaughter ends here." Adam growled. "We're gonna make you an example of humanity extinguishing your kind off of our home so we can finally achieve the peace we've long sought to establish. That is what we will do."

He suddenly straps the borrowed katana to his back while sheathing Wilt back into Blush but keeps his grip on the handle. "Come and get me." The masked faunus warned. "Give me your best shot."

The only reply was a roar from the one eyed Grimm that sounded like it's accepting his challenge. However, what actually the Grimm thinks is that Adam is daring it to come over to him and fight him Man-to-Grimm. It ain't gonna do that as it charged its eye up again and prepared to fire another powerful laser that will surely vaporize him to ash. However, the kind of bait it thought it was avoiding only ended up taking another kind of bait that Adam intended…. his semblance.

Once fully charged, the Cyclops fires yet another powerful blast of energy that beams towards him at full speed which was what Adam wanted. Like the same way that he did on the cargo train against the Spider Droid, Adam unsheathes Wilt only halfway and holds his sword in front of him as Wilt takes the giant beam head on and begins to absorb it thanks to Adam's semblance.

"_Such power!" _Adam mentally grunted as he resisted while feeling the power of the Cyclops' hatred and hate of its laser converted into stored energy. _"This is much stronger and far more destructive compared to that Spider Droid's blast back on the cargo train, I can barely hold back against it… and I'm losing ground." _

Even when he was prepared for it, Adam was gritting his teeth and using every ounce of his strength from being knocked off balance and obliterated to dust. He was being pushed back from the force that his heels were carving into the ground and leaving a trail, all while his semblance did its work absorbing the beam into his sword which grew brighter, along with his mask, hair, and clothes.

"_Just a little more… then it will be enough to end it in one stroke…." _

Despite that Adam is blocking its attack, the Cyclops isn't aware what Adam is actually doing and continues firing, even adding a little more juice to bring it up to overpower his block and finally kill him.

"Now!" Adam shouts, finally absorbing enough energy that he considers good enough.

WHAM!

That's when the Grimm felt a powerful force slamming into the middle of its abdomen, out of nowhere, nonetheless, that it lurched forward and held its gut in pain which deactivated its laser blast. As the Grimm turned its head at who dared hit it like that. There stood Gale, still in his complete transformed state, holding its club, that's almost twice his size, in both his hands. Though, he's barely holding it steady, due to the tremendous weight of the club itself.

As Adam said, Gale is mindfully borrowing the weapon that he'll give it back pretty soon…. he starts bashing and swinging the club the best way he can as the Cyclops was taking even more damage that its bone armor was cracking and falling apart with each strike. Gale even slammed it in the leg… right in the knee where it was dislocated moments ago which forced it on its knees and then Gale followed up with an overhead smash on top of its head that its middle horn shattered.

"Well.. that's quite a way to improvise." Ozpin said highly impressed Gale is able to wield a club that large and heavy.

"**GRAAAAHHHH!" **Roared the Cyclops as it had enough and actually caught the club in its bare hand when Gale tried to hit him again which caught the elephant by surprise. He realized what its trying to do and tightened his grip on the club as the giant Grimm tried to reclaim it's weapon that they know what it can do in its hands. Now the two giants were fighting over the club in a tug of war, battling for dominance on who will beat the other to death with it.

"Nigel!" Adam shouts as Gale keeps the Cyclops occupied. Nigel, despite his aura's almost spent, ran over to him but didn't say anything as they don't have time for that.

On cue, the Cyclops won the tug of war and overpowered Gale as his grip on the club loosened and slipped out of his hands. Before he could do anything, the Cyclops reached its free hand out and grabbed by the face and smashed him into the ground that shattered and cratered the ground.

"I need you to launch me at it, anyway you can!" Adam yells, as they know their running out of time. He quickly draws Wilt all the way out while also bringing out the other katana, back to duel wielding again. He focused and channeled the stored energy into the other sword… and it started to crack.

As Gale tried to get up… the Cyclops was already back on its feet and punted him with its club like a golf ball. That hit was more than enough to easily send him flying across the area as he tumbled and crashed into a nearby boulder which halted him but the side he crashed into became a heavily dented crater.

Nearly everyone gasped, even Glynda who had her hand over her mouth, and Nevins looked nearly horrified watching a Grimm send such a large humanoid elephant like that with just a mere swing, while feeling concerned that Gale took a rather nasty hit.

"Gale!" Rocky shouted in horror, as he was nearby and watched his friend take that kind of hit. He quickly ran over to him, as Gale groaned in pain… and suddenly started to glow orange and started shrinking down to human size, while many of his elephant traits disappeared.

Gale was back to his human form as he violently coughed and groaned how much pain he's in. His aura glowed and flickered until it too, like Rocky's, shattered like glass.

"Ho man… that one is gonna feel really sore by tomorrow." The tattooed boy wheezed as he tried to stand up but was having a hard time… until he saw Rocky with his arm out, offering a hand to him, with a concerned look in his eyes.

"You alright?" Rocky asked worriedly that Gale responded with a dry chuckle.

"Yeah… I'll be fine... I've been through a lot worse, especially without aura." Gale answered, recalling himself of the time he nearly got killed by that Baku with no aura. As he gets up, he is able to stand on his own but Rocky insists on holding his arm over his shoulder to support him.

Seeing what happened made Adam growl even more and looked at Nigel with determination behind his mask.

"Let's do this, Nigel! Let's get this monster and end this!" Adam shouts as he prepares an ultimate move that he will use to finish off the Grimm.

"Right!" Nigel obliged as he got behind Adam and wrapped his arms around his abdomen. He then crouches down and bends his legs to build up some energy into his legs that the ground cracked a little until he leaped upwards high enough to reach the Cyclops at eye level.

At that moment, Nigel instantly re-positioned himself that he pressed his feet against Adam's back while they were bent to the max like he's ready to jump.

"GO!" Nigel shouts as he finally sends Adam flying forward with the aid of his powerful legs which not only made him rocket ahead like a human sized bullet but also created a visible shockwave that echoed across the field that it caught the Cyclops' attention.

While Adam went forward, Nigel used up the last of his strength that he couldn't even reposition himself as he fell flat on his back that he bounced a few inches off the ground and grunted from the impact. Once he laid still, staring up into the sky. His aura glowed and flickered as well, and shattered seconds after.

"You're all.. That's left." Nigel muttered as he laid there but eventually sat up and watched what was happening.

Now all Adam is all that's left of the four that is able to take this Grimm down. He's got one shot at this and if he misses or can't end it… then that is it and their fates are sealed.

The Cyclops can see Adam is coming at him full speed and decides to take him head on. Besides, even if it wanted to avoid him, it's unable to since its injured knee slows it down. And so, it took the challenge as it held its club in both of its hands, despite missing a few fingers, and winding it back like a baseball player about to hit a homerun.

As he flew forward, Adam started to spin with his two blades close together like they've combined into a single blade for extra damage. Faster and faster he spun as the momentum and the stored energy he took from the laser also intensified many times over. Soon, there was a human sized tornado of blades that was coming at the Grimm full speed and not stopping while the Grimm waited for the insect to come close enough to hit him which would reduce him to a bloody paste.

* * *

"Come on, dude! Win this for us and for Beacon!"

"Yeah! Beat that abomination!"

"Show that Grimm to never underestimate us huntsmen and huntresses!"

It has gotten all time high in Beacon that pretty much even if you stood outside near the landing and docking bays, you could still hear the screaming.

Even Velvet and Coco were so excited they could no longer hold it in

"You can do it!" Velvet cheered.

"Kick it's ass and slice it in half" Coco also shouted in excitement.

"Yeah!" Fox and Yatsu shouted, finally no longer being stoic and getting excited for once.

"My elderly heart is pounding so fast that I think I might suffer a heart attack!" Nevins spouted as his old mind is struggling to keep up with everything that's happening right now.

Glynda was now was gritting her teeth, her heart pounding, and she was sweating.

"Come one…. Slay that abomination… so she can finally rest in peace…" Glynda whispered rather tensely and filled with desperation for the boys to win.

As for Ozpin, his expression was more or less the same but he too was interested how this will go out but he's no doubt rooting for the huntsmen to win this round.

* * *

"GO ADAM! GO!" Gale, Nigel, and Rocky all shouted at once, as they cheered for their teammate which he heard that further fueled his determination…. so they can go back to Beacon…. form their official team…. share a room… fight off more Grimm…. and share pizza together…..

All those thoughts that would become possible for him and his team's future, made him open his eyes as he spun to the max and prepared to swing his swords. The Cyclops slightly slides its feet a bit to make it's pose more prominent to make its swing even stronger.

HRRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!

**GRRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!"**

With every last ounce of his might, Adam swings out his blades, with a hyper crazed and screaming look on his face, while the Cyclops finally swings its club in return at full force, while it too had its eye wide open in fury and spit was flying out of its gaping and fanged maw. The two moved past each other and swung so fast that not even the drones at their most advanced couldn't detect who managed to hit the other and come out unscathed. It was all just two blinding blurs that swung at such speeds it couldn't be told what exactly happened.

Now everyone and everything has gone deafly silent, yet again, arguably even more so than the last moment when the Cyclops eye was impaled by that iron spike.

Adam and the Cyclops stood still, with each other's backs and looking really calm, as the wind blew. Adam had his arms widely spread out, with both blades in hand, while the Cyclops was in its pose after swinging its club like it made a homerun.

The whole world was silent, waiting to see who took the lethal hit and fell to the Earth as the loser, while the winner reigned supreme and lived to see another day.

Crick… Crack.

The borrowed sword that Adam wields cracked which spread out through the entire sword… and shattered into a hundred bite sized pieces which rained down on the ground where Adam stood. Adam grunted as he suddenly felt unsteady and tried to stay standing… and his blue aura started to flicker like a dying light.

"Adam…" The three said in worry as it looked like Adam took it bad… and they may have lost….

His aura finally shattered which made him drop to a knee and grunted from the pain that started to sting in his chest and abdomen. He even… coughed up a little bit of blood.

"Oh no…" Velvet whispered as everyone looked horrified that it seems the Grimm have won today and took a life, followed by three more when it gets its hands on them.

As it looked like the Cyclops had won and gave an evil smirk… a visible diagonal line appeared in the middle of its neck… and something happened to the club as it suddenly got cut in half in which the upper half fell to the ground with a loud thud.

As the Cyclops gurgled and groaned what's happening…. it's head slowly slid off its shoulders and dramatically, in slow motion, crashed into the ground like a bag of potatoes and rolled away from the body until it laid still. After that, the headless body fell to its knees then, with the other half of the club still in its lifeless hand, collapsed on its side that resulted in a loud crash and laid motionless.

The winner of this duel…. Adam Taurus

Adam couldn't help but smirk to himself, despite the pain which was from the club that managed to slightly graze him, especially from the momentum from both him and the Cyclops going head on at each other.

* * *

"They… won…. They really won! They slayed the Grimm and won!" Velvet cheered that the whole crowd of students all cheered, even some of the staff were cheering as well. Coco also cheered and hugged Velvet who hugged back in celebration. Fox and Yatsu were really smiling and fist bumped each other. Some students were even tossing up their hats or anything they were holding in celebration.

The halls may be quieter but they were no less full of enthusiasm as Nevins was watching the screen…. With such pride and proudness he feels in his soul

"You did it…. You really have done it, lads… you proved what it takes to be worthy huntsmen. Especially you, Rocky Rhode Runner…." Nevins approved with a genuine smile that he had a tear in his eye. Though, that's when his eyes diverted to the floor which was still covered in stains of his morning coffee. He sighs but doesn't feel angry or upset, not after seeing such a show, that he just whistles a tune as he gets out his mop and mops the floor.

Glynda's reaction was the most emotional of them all…. She had her hand over her mouth and was shaking in such a state of happiness and sadness that she couldn't believe it all came true to her…. The Cyclops, the same one she feared and murdered Dorothea…. has been slain.

"They did it…. They really did it." Glynda whispered almost silently… as tears were seeping out of her eyes that she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I know…. and now Dorothea can finally rest in peace…. may her soul live on and watch over you and all of us for a better future… for Beacon and everyone attending it.

"_This must be a good sign for good things to come… even on our darkest days…" _Ozpin thought as he looked out into the distance again.

* * *

As the Cyclops' corpse began to slowly disintegrate and carried off into the wind, Gale, Rocky, and Nigel, all limped to Adam and sat with him who was sitting crossed legged and clutching his abdomen with

"Well…. That was quite one heck of a battle we've all been through." Gale said to end the silence and all nodded in agreement to that.

"Yeah… it sure was mates…. It sure was." Nigel muttered, panting and taking off his hat and wiped his sweat brow with a free hand… "I need some dark chocolate right now…."

"Boy…. that sure was awesome how you beat that Grimm." Rocky chuckled. "Especially when you were all juiced up. You sure were lit up like a Christma- I mean Nondescript Holiday Spectacular tree." Rocky said which made the other raise an eyebrow at him. What is he even talking about but they decided to let that slide because they're too hurt and tired to even care.

"Yep…. that's one way to show the Grimm we mean business." Adam coughed as he tried to breathe calmly and hopefully let his aura reactivate soon to stop the internal bleeding and heal his wounds. "Guess that makes it our first mission a success, even before being an official team. What an achievement…."

"So… anyone up for some pizza." Rocky blurted out and got nothing but silence… but than all four boys started to laugh like they were having a good time.

"You know… we really do make a good team…. standing together…. holding each other up….and having each other's backs." Adam gently smiled at his team who were now all .

While they celebrated and laughed together like pals… it ended when their acute hearing picked up something… a familiar sound.. a kind of humming…

They stopped laughing as their blood ran cold and their bodies froze in place, even swore to themselves their hearts stopped… as it suddenly got a little brighter behind their backs…. They slowly turned around and looked at what was making that sound and bright light…..

* * *

"Hold on… what's going on." Coco said in confusion as she looked at the screen closer… than her she gave an expression of horror in which everyone else did too that Velvet had her hands over her mouth. Even Fox and Yatsu looked terrified.

"This… this can't be real… it should be over by now…." Nevins mumbled as he looked back at the screen that he was frozen in his position of mopping the floor.

"No… it can't be… that's impossible." Glynda shook in fear that she was now losing herself that she wanted to do something… anything… to stop it. Even Ozpin looked genuinely shocked, even looking the least terrified.

* * *

The boy's pupils dilated and their mouths slowly widely gaped in horror, as they were now staring down the direct sight….. of the Cyclop's motionless head, laying on its side, behind its body where it used to be that's now gone… charging up for one last shot, using every last bit of it's hatred and rage focused into one last laser blast that will surely kill them now. Since their auras are now gone and accumulated too much damage, they are too weak and slow to get out of the way in time.

As for the Grimm, it's already aware it's nothing but a head now and its body is forever gone. It can already feel its life fading away…. It's long term goal and desire has finally come to a stop and it can no longer get another chance… during those moments, despite not seeing well, it saw four shapes and it sensed there's no doubt it's definitely those four worms alright…. The ones that reduced it from a mighty monster… to a pathetic and useless head. And so, if it's gonna go down like this, then it will surely take all of them with it to the non-existent void.

That is all it now wants to do, one last thing, to finally satisfy itself after its gone..

Adam and the others were too stiff in fear to utter a word or even try to move out of the way. Even if they did, it would be too late as it's already about to fire….

BANG!

There was a loud gunshot as a stray bullet whizzed through the air…. and going straight through the Cyclops'one eye which ruptured into a goopy black mess.

"W-W-What in the-?!" Rocky could only say in response as he and the others caught off guard for a split second.

Since the shot for the laser was interrupted and the eye is now pretty much destroyed, the large amount of hate has gone unstable and haywire, all built up and now coming apart, which meant only one thing….

In that last split second, before finally meeting its demise, the Cyclops realized it's one last chance to take those four down with it…. has ultimately failed. All it could do was blindly curse at them one last time in a high pitch roar of agony, as the unstable energy in its damaged eye finally couldn't hold itself together anymore…

**BOOM!**

The head of the Cyclops exploded like a bomb that created a large fireball which incinerated the remains of the head that there's nothing left of it, not even a scrap or bone or tooth. Adam and his teammates had to cover their faces with their arms as the winds rushed past them.

When the dust settled, in place where the head used to be is a smoldering crater and bits of fire around it. The only remnant of the Cyclops that was left is its destroyed club.

"W-W-Were we just saved at the last second….?" Gale said in complete confusion.

"If that was a bullet and the sound of a gunshot….. most likely." Adam answered but smiled out of satisficiation it's finally over and he can get some rest now.

"You know, as much as I hate to repeat it, that's now getting old… I saw my life flash befo- ah why bother. It's already getting old now." Rocky mutters how old seeing his life flash before his eyes has become.

"It seems, they managed to arrive in time to save our arses, at the last moment." Nigel smirked as he had a good feeling who did that.

They all looked over their shoulders… and standing on top of a nearby hill was Ruby and her teammates. They all had varied reactions but most of them were mostly focused on surprise and astonishment. Even the normally stoic Ren looked surprised while Nora was grinning like a madwoman.

"Woah…" Jaune could only say after watching that Grimm head explode like that.

"Adam… you're okay" Blake sighed in relief and smiled that her old time friend is okay, despite looking tired and hurt.

"You know… I hope we all get to see the footage of their battle…. I wanna see it all." Yang blurted out like she wanted to see how this all went down.

"I told you all, especially you, Ren! It really did have a laser face!" Nora shouted like she was right to them all while Ren just sighed, not really putting up with Nora's antics right now.

Ruby cocks her Crescent Rose as a bullet casing is ejected and smoke is flowing out of the barrel.

"Got 'em." The red caped girl said while looking so casual and smug about it.

* * *

**Phew. Finally, after a long time and effort, managed to conclude the Emerald Forest Arc and ANGR is pretty much a team now…. Or until Ozpin officially does so with approval by next chapter. **

**Now, thing is, I just wanted to point out this arc did take quite a while to finish and maybe it has felt a little dragged out in some cases but all I'm glad is that ANGR finally slayed that Cyclops and now we can move forward to our world saving teenagers attending the academy like attending highschool and bootcamp.**

**With the Emerald Forest arc that mostly focused on coming together, facing Grimm, and forming the teams, I'm planning to have more interactions with everyone in Beacon Academy and facing new enemies that are hidden in the dark in future chapters now.**

**Now, I've also made a lot of plans of expanding the academy's staff a little more to make it feel more lively. I don't want to drag that out too much either but I'm eager and determined to expand the lore and world building of the ANGR a bit further than what RWBY in canon was able to share so far. **

**And lastly, I saw lots of signs and teaseers of Vol 8 that's coming soon and we're finally getting the Vol 7 Soundtrack! It's been 84 years since we started waiting for it! I'm now excited for Vol 8 and see how that goes!**


End file.
